Public History Commons^™

A Dictatorship Of Meaning: Villainizing Multiple Perspectives, John M. Rudy

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

I read Louis De Caro's "John Brown the Abolitionist -- A Biographer's Blog" regularly because I deeply respect the work which DeCaro has done in researching Brown, particularly putting him into the context of his religious life. I assigned "Fire from the Midst of You": A Religious Life of John Brown to the students in my class this semester on Brown, as it is an intriguing look at the abolitionist. But I read DeCaro's blog because I don't agree with him on many of his criticisms of how Brown is interpreted in a modern context. I try to follow a …

Clyde Cone, Jr.

African American Funeral Programs, Willow Hill Heritage & Renaissance Center, Bulloch County, Georgia

No abstract provided.

Standing Up By Sitting Down: Join The Student Sit-Ins At The Smithsonian, Jacob Dinkelaker

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

Continuing my review and discussion that I started last week of the NMAH's historical theater programs, this week, I want to talk about the other program I attended on my most recent visit down to the mall: the Join the Student Sit-Ins program. Long story short, Join the Student Sit-Ins is another great interpretive offering from the Smithsonian Museum of American History. The program thrives on visitor involvement and reflection. It's engaging, historically deep, emotional, and probing for answers, ultimately asking more questions than finding answers. [excerpt]

Ruby Kirkland Hall

African American Funeral Programs, Willow Hill Heritage & Renaissance Center, Bulloch County, Georgia

No abstract provided.

Traces Volume 39, Number 3, Kentucky Library Research Collections

Traces, the Southern Central Kentucky, Barren County Genealogical Newsletter

Traces, the South Central Kentucky Genealogical Society's quarterly newsletter, was first published in 1973. The Society changed its name in 2016 to the Barren County Historical Society. The publication features compiled genealogies, articles on local history, single-family studies and unpublished source materials related to this area.

Ms-124: Samuel Simon Schmucker Bicentennial Celebration 1999, G. Ronald Couchman

All Finding Aids

The official papers of the Schmucker Bicentennial Committee reside in the Archives at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. This collection at the college contains the material retained by Gettysburg College representatives to the committee and internal college documents relating to the program events compiled by the Public Relations Office and the Office of Planned Giving. Of special interest is a review of a research effort conducted within the Office of College Relations to identify the descendants of Samuel Schmucker in order to invite them to the college for the birthday event. This research resulted in the creation of a …

Public History Newsletter Fall 2011, Public History Concentration

Public History Newsletter

A four page newsletter created by the Public History Concentration at Wright State University.

October 2011 University Chronicle, Shawnee State University

University Chronicle

Shawnee State University Student Newspaper

On Lewis Sorley's Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam, Gregory A. Daddis

History Faculty Articles and Research

A review of Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam, by Lewis Sorley.

Mattie Annette Hall

African American Funeral Programs, Willow Hill Heritage & Renaissance Center, Bulloch County, Georgia

No abstract provided.

"That All Men Are Created Equal...": Universal Relevance And The Civil War, John M. Rudy

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

One of my favorite movies is Back to the Future III. I know that is a terrible choice in some folks' eyes. The response I usually get is an, "ugh!" and a snarl of the lip. Still, I think there is so much going on in that film, from the struggle between fatalism and free will to the themes of love and sacrifice, heartache and heartbreak.

The reason Back to the Future III comes up in my mind today, though, is because of a dialogue within the public history world that appears to be heating up, thanks in part to …

30 Minutes With John Brown At The Smithsonian, Jacob Dinkelaker

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

Last week, my folks were in town from Ohio visiting me and doing the 'tourist thing' in our nation's capitol. On one of their days in town, I met them after work at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History (NMAH). We saw the Great Garrison Flag and the gunboat Philadelphia. My mom saw the First Ladies' dresses while my father and I went to the military exhibit instead (we're not much for fancy dresses). And although they were tired, and by this time had had their fill of history, I convinced them to let me drag them along to …

Speaking A Different Language, John M. Rudy

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

[Video available below] OK, so what are we looking at? First and foremost, we are looking at someone who has thought deeply about the meaning of Lincoln's words at Gettysburg. "President Lincoln changed history / he honored the dead but did so much more / he changed the meaning of the Civil War." MC Lala gets the deep meanings of the two minutes Lincoln spent on a platform in Gettysburg. MC Lala grasps the deep importance of Lincoln's re-dedication of America at Gettysburg using the Declaration of Independence's ever inspiring promise that, "all men are created equal." [ …

In Another Sesquicentennial, John M. Rudy

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

On Tuesday, Jake wrote asking who controls the memory of 9/11. The ownership of memory is such an interesting thing. This tenth anniversary was an interesting event, fraught with conflicted memory and different voices. It was intriguing to watch all of the slight conflicts which emerged last week leading up to the ceremonies on Sunday morning. [excerpt]

September 9, 2011 Meeting Minutes, Shawnee State University

Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the September 9, 2010 Board of Trustees meeting.

Holy Writ: Thinking Beyond Enabling Legislation To Modern Relevance, John M. Rudy

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

Why trust a bunch of dead guys? I know it sounds trite, but it's very important when we begin approaching how we talk about Civil War sites (or any historic site). Oftentimes, the folks who voted the site into existence and decided its primary reason for being are dead and gone. The world has changed radically since they were here. The pieces of legislation they created (at the federal level they're typically called "enabling legislation," at lower levels they have varied other names) were distinct products of their times. The themes and significances they outline are likewise products of their …

Bobby Hobbs

African American Funeral Programs, Willow Hill Heritage & Renaissance Center, Bulloch County, Georgia

No abstract provided.

Quinten Harden-Geiger

African American Funeral Programs, Willow Hill Heritage & Renaissance Center, Bulloch County, Georgia

No abstract provided.

"And Preachin' From My Chair": The Historian And The Interpreter, Jacob Dinkelaker

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

I've been thinking lately of titles. The new blog Emerging Civil War's inaugural post touched off a powder-keg of thought for me. Looking down the list of contributors yields name after name listed as "historian at...." But most of those folks appear to have the official job title of "park ranger," "interpreter," or "visitor use assistant," and not "historian." This got the wheels in my head turning. [excerpt]

September 2011 University Chronicle, Shawnee State University

University Chronicle

Shawnee State University Student Newspaper