History Comes Alive
Port Jefferson’s role in the American Revolution and its relation to the Culper Spy Ring was brought to life for middle school history students during an assembly on Dec. 22 — the actual date on the letter that links the village to the Culper Spy Ring.
During the event, seventh-graders listened as Port Jefferson Village Mayor Margot Garant, Historian Georgette Grier-Key and Earl L. Vandermeulen High School alumnus, Michael Tessler, present an 18th-century letter confirming Port Jefferson’s role in the Culper Spy Ring, which carried secret messages written in invisible ink to Gen. George Washington. Students also watched a short video outlining the significance of the historical document, which was written by a suspected British spy four years after colonists declared independence from Great Britain.
Prior to the assembly, teachers Monica Consalvo and Deirdre Filippi had the students engage is a series of learning centers where they gained a glimpse into the village’s connection to the American Revolution. Among the activities, were deciphering a spy code and tracing the spy ring’s movements through an authentic map.