Lamoni Alum, Maritime Archeologist Presents to HS U.S. History Class
During the past few weeks the Lamoni High School U.S. History class has been discussing and learning about the American Civil War. This pivotal event in American History had a lasting legacy on our country, much of which we are still grappling with today. In addition to the social and economic changes the American Civil War brought, it also brought technological advances. One of those advances was the first successful submarine mission to sink an enemy ship. This was done on February 17, 1864, when the Confederate submarine, the H.L. Hunley, sank the Union naval blockader, the U.S.S. Housatonic.
On October 7 the High School U.S. History class was able to listen to a presentation by Lamoni Alum, Nicholas DeLong, and learn more about the H.L. Hunley. The presentation was done remotely, providing an opportunity for students to learn from an expert in the field who is multiple states away.
Mr. DeLong has worked on the H.L. Hunley project as part of the Warren Lasch Conservation Center at Clemson University, and was able to provide firsthand knowledge of the ship. Students were able to learn about the methods Mr. DeLong, and others working in the Conservation Center, use to piece together the story of the ships, their crew, and the events that lead to their sinking. By teaching about these methods and providing students a more intimate understanding of the crew and the events of the H.L. Hunley, Mr. DeLong provided an opportunity to students that they are not able to get within the walls of the classroom. Time was allotted at the end of the presentation to allow students to ask any questions they had.
Mr. DeLong graduated from Lamoni High School in 2007. From there, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Graceland University in 2011 and his Master of Arts in Maritime Archaeology from East Carolina University in 2015. He now works as a Maritime Archeologist at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center at Clemson University in South Carolina.
This was an awesome experience for the students, expanding their knowledge on the H.L. Hunley and the role it played in history.