An Introduction to Public History
Syllabus by Todd Ellison [1]
Why should I take this course?
“It is a curious
fact of life in the United States that so many people claim to hate history as
a school subject, yet spend their spare time visiting historic sites, watching
movies about historic events, doing genealogical research, or reading
historical fiction.”[2] According to the Travel Industry of America,
approximately 34% of the 997.6 million domestic U.S. person-trips in the year
2000 were to historical sites/ museums, current events/ cultural festivals, and
national/ state parks.[3] That is 339.2
million visits! This sends an important
message about the need for the employment of trained public historians at these
sites. We will explore some of the many ways in which people package and convey
history. This course is especially
useful to students who are in the very early stages of considering careers in
non-teaching, history-related careers, including work in museums, historic
sites, historical societies, archives, and historic preservation—but will also
be interesting for students who wonder how to make history come alive and for
those who want to bring history to a larger audience.
Course
overview:
In this course we
will examine the “front end” of history—in other words, the various ways in
which stories of the past are taken outside of the ivy walls of the academy and
are presented to the general public—for the benefit of the general public and
in a public setting. These
presentations may be short bytes of data (“today in history”) or they may be an
extensive immersion experience (such as Colonial Williamsburg). The
presentation may be conveyed through radio and television in news stories,
features, and documentaries; in movies and docudramas; in advertising; in
speeches and other forms of public communication; in historic markers,
buildings, districts and commemorative sites; in fiction and mass textbooks; in
museums; and in countless other public venues.[4] Public historians
apply historical knowledge and methods in public and private settings outside
of academia. Their historical
perspectives address areas as diverse as public policy, historical editing,
local and community history (historical societies), archives, oral history,
public history as a business, museum programs, historical sites interpretation,
and historical dramatizations for the media.
Teaching formats
include lectures and discussion, guest speakers, film(s), field trips, and
hands-on class projects to introduce students to the field of public
history. Class discussion of the
readings as well as writing a review essay on a museum exhibit and one on a
public history site on the Web will give students training in critical
thinking. The course will begin with a
consideration of what we mean by “public history,” then it will introduce each
of the major fields within public history and will end with an overview of the
current state of the field and the prospects for students’ use of what they
have learned about bringing history alive to the public.
Goals:
By the conclusion
of the course, students should have:
- A sense of what public history is.
- An understanding of the main avenues for practicing
public history.
- A grasp of the different tools that public historians
use to practice their craft.
- A familiarity with some of the major issues public
historians face in their work.
- The start of a list of contacts and resources that can
be used further.
Text:
James B. Gardner and Peter S. La Paglia, eds., Public
History: Essays from the Field (Malabar, Fla.: Krieger, 1999).
This is the basic text of the course and provides a good introduction to many of
the facets of public history.
Reserve Reading:
Susan Porter Benson, Stephen Brier, Roy Rozensweig. Presenting
the Past: Essays on History and the Public. Another collection of essays that discuss and question how history
is presented to the public.
Beth Yakel, An Introduction to Archives
G. Ellis Burcaw, Introduction to Museum Work
William J. Murtagh, Keeping Time
David B. Mock, ed., History and Public Policy
Theodore J. Karamanski, ed., Ethics and Public History: An Anthology
Overall Outline of Class Schedule and
Course Content:
Week 1: Overview of Course and Assignments;
What Is Public History?
Week 2: Public History, the New American History, Mass Culture and Popular
Culture
Week 3: Public History on the World Wide Web
Week 4: Archives
Week 5: Oral History and Other Documentation Strategies
Week 6: Local History/ Community History Projects
Week 7: Midterm Review and Examination
Week 8: Community History; Theatre and Film Documentaries
Week 9: Historical Editing and Publishing
Week 10: Museums and Historical Organizations
Week 11: Historic Preservation and Cultural Resource Management
Week 12: History in Government/ National Park Service
Week 13: History and Public Policy; History in Business
Week 14: Issues and Opportunities in Public History
Week 15: Presentation of Semester Projects/ Final Exam
Dates to
Remember:
Last day to withdraw with a “W”: census date.
Reading should be completed prior to the first
class meeting of each week.
Term Assignments:
1. Each student will complete a public history project during the semester, either individually or as part of team. The project should be chosen after discussion with the instructor and must be approved by the instructor. Conferences to discuss projects will be scheduled during the first week of the semester. Projects done in cooperation with historical agencies or organizations are highly recommended. The project chosen should reflect the individual interests and career goals of the student. It should reflect substantive reading and research in a variety of sources. Interviews and site visits should be used when appropriate.
2. A three-page review of a history Web site. For examples of history Web reviews, see the “Web Site Reviews” in the Journal of American History 88 (June 2001), 317-323.
3. A three-page review of an exhibition in a history museum. For examples of
exhibition reviews, see the reviews that appear regularly in the Journal of
American History and The Public Historian. Reviews should include these aspects:
a. Exhibit title,
name and location of host institution, names of principal exhibit creators,
sponsors or underwriters (if any), dates of exhibit, date(s) you viewed the
exhibit.
b. Purpose(s) of
exhibit.
c. The historical
subject that is conveyed in the exhibit, and how it is conveyed (use of
artifacts, media, labels.)
d. Intended
audience.
e. Your assessment
of the overall content of the exhibit. Does it reflect sound
historical scholarship? Does it employ
an appropriate use and mix of artifacts, images, narrative? How effective
is the exhibit design? How well does it achieve its purpose(s)?
4. You may wish to participate in the Public History Listserve H-PUBLIC to
acquaint yourself with current professional issues, conferences, and other
opportunities. To subscribe, send a
message to LISTSERV@H-NET.MSU.EDU
and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:
SUBSCRIBE H-PUBLIC firstname lastname, Fort Lewis College affiliation
Grading:
|
Participation 20% |
In-class quick-reports and quizzes 20% |
Mid-term exam 15% |
|
Course project 15% |
Assignments 15% |
Final exam 15% |
General Expectations:
ü Doing below average work will earn you a D;
average work will earn you a C; above average work will earn you a B; only
truly exceptional work will earn you an A.
ü It is your responsibility as a student to ensure that you are properly enrolled in this course. It is not possible to add courses after census date. To check your enrollment status, use WEBOPUS and click on Student-Detail-Schedule.
ü As described in greater detail below, participation in class discussions and in a class project counts highly because it is only as you think about information that it becomes personally useful.
ü Be forewarned that in this course style is important; arguably, the organization and format of a public historian’s work is as important as its content. This implies (as is noted in more detail below) using strong introductions and conclusions to each paper and each paragraph, spelling words correctly, turning in a clean printed copy with no scratch outs, and demonstrating an archival aptitude for clear organization.
ü Notice that the mid-term and final exams are weighted equally; by mid-term, you will have begun to absorb sufficient facts and principles to enable you to write, speak, and process materials with archival understanding. This assumes that you apply yourself to learning the course material from the day of the very first class. Readings are heaviest in the first half of the course; after that, more of your outside-of-class preparation work will be devoted to your final project and your written reports and class presentations.
ü Course protocol includes respecting one another in such ways as coming to class on time and not being absent from class or leaving early without explaining the need to the instructor beforehand.
Writing Assignments:
All out-of-class writing assignments must be neatly typed in a regular-sized (i.e., 12 point) font and double-spaced. Top, bottom, and side margins should be set at approximately one and one-quarter inches. Besides listing your name, the course number, date, and assignment topic on the first page, your paper should be titled, paginated, and stapled. Citation style (either footnotes or endnotes are acceptable) should conform to one of the following: Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History; Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers; or The Chicago Manual of Style. Do not use The MLA Handbook. Because this course is intended to orient you to work in a professional career, it is essential that you observe the standard rules of communicating clearly, concisely, and correctly. Points will be deducted for errors in grammar and mechanics. Always proofread and run the spelling-checker utility on your draft before printing it out for submission.
Writing effectively means writing clearly and concisely and using correct grammar. Excellent papers will meet all of the following criteria:
1. The paper addresses all of the questions and issues posed in the assignment.
2. The paper draws upon relevant readings and class discussions. The paper applies what you have been learning.
3. The paper adds your own insights to the analyses. The quality of your own ideas matters. Show your own independent thinking as much as possible.
4. The paper is convincing. You have the responsibility to justify your arguments. You must back up your points or conclusion. Support your argument by using evidence from the class readings or other sources. Use explicit examples to illustrate what you say. Do not assume anything on the part of the reader.
5. The paper is well organized. It has an introduction with a thesis (argument), it has a body supporting this thesis, and it ends with a conclusion summarizing the main points.
6. The paper has no spelling and grammatical errors.
Assignments will be penalized one grade
level for each twenty-four hour period (or part thereof) the assignment is
late, including weekends (unless an extension has been granted in advance by
the Instructor). For example, a paper due on a Tuesday that is turned in
on the following Monday would be counted as six days late; if it merited a
grade of B+, that grade would be reduced six levels to a D+.
Obtaining and
Using an E-Mail Account:
All students must obtain an e-mail account (available for free
through Fort Lewis College) by the second class meeting, and send the
Instructor a message confirming their account on or before that date.
Plan to check your e-mail regularly for course-related messages posted by the
Instructor.
Class
Participation and Preparation:
Class participation and preparation will be evaluated in terms of:
1. Regular class attendance.
2. The amount and quality of discussion.
3. Completion and quality of short writing assignments.
Attendance is important for a number of reasons. Your insight and participation during discussions are a critical part of the class. We all learn from each other's perspectives; if you miss class, you will miss learning from these insights. Being clear-headed in discussion involves not just reading the assignments, but thinking about them, so allow yourself some time for reflection. Missing more than three class meetings during the quarter, regardless of the reason, will have a negative effect on your class participation grade. Note: coming to class more than 10 minutes late, leaving class early, or coming unprepared will count as an absence.
For Students
with Disabilities or Special Needs:
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a
disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if
you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please
make an appointment with me as soon as possible.
Schedule of
Meetings:
Week 1, class 1: Overview and Assignments
FILM: "Public History Today"
Week 1, class 2: What Is Public History?
What does it (or
should it) mean to “present history to the public”?
Assignment
1.
Readings:
A. Gardner & La Paglia, pp. 3-56;
and one of the following articles:
B. Ronald J. Grele, "Whose Public? Whose
History? What is The Goal of a Public Historian?" The Public
Historian 5 (Winter 1981), 40-48.
C. Edward T. Linenthal, “Committing History in
Public,” Journal of American History 81 (December 1994), 986-991.
D. Alan Brinkley, “Historians and Their
Publics, Journal of American History 81 (December 1994), 1027-1030.
E. J. Theodore Karamanski, “Making History
Whole: Public Service, Public History, and the Profession,” The Public
Historian 12 (Summer 1990), 91-101.
2. Become familiar with the predominant history and public
history organizations, by checking out their journals and web sites (many of
which have extensive links to other public history sites).
A. American
Historical Association. Publishes American
Historical Review (journal) and Perspectives (newsletter).
B. Organization of American Historians. Publishes Journal of American History, the Magazine of History
(for teachers) and OAH Newsletter.
C. National Council on Public History. Publishes The Public Historian (journal), Public History News (newsletter).
D. American Association for State and Local History. Publishes History News (magazine), Dispatch
(newsletter), and dozens of technical leaflets.
E. American Association of Museums. Publishes Museum News (magazine), and Aviso
(newsletter).
F. National Trust for Historic Preservation. Publishes Preservation (magazine).
G. Oral History Association. Publishes Oral History Review (journal), and OHA Newsletter.
H. Society of American Archivists. Publishes American Archivist (journal), and Archival Outlook
(newsletter).
I. Scholar's Guide to WWW A staggering array of links to sites dealing
with history, the humanities, and social sciences. The best place to
start.
J.
Public History Resource Center. Many useful resources.
Other useful public history web
sites:
A. Center for History and New Media at George Mason
University
B. Historians and the Web
C. Links for the History Profession
(from the OAH)
D. UWM Public History
Specialization
Week 2: Public History, the New American History, Mass Culture and Popular Culture
Public historians must first and foremost be
trained historians. Thus, the student
of public history should learn how history is being written today (the various
ways in which historians are interpreting the past—the questions they ask and
the methodologies they use), how all of that has changed over time, and how it
has been influenced by (and responded to) changes in the contemporary culture.
Week 3: Public History on
the World Wide Web
How is history presented on the Web? What can we learn from these sites
to imagine new ways of working with the public on history projects?
Assignment
1. Check out these three web sites and be prepared to discuss their scope, purpose, strengths, and limitations.
A. The American Memory Project of the Library of Congress. From the Web description: “The American Memory Historical Collections, a major component of the Library's National Digital Library Program, are multimedia collections of digitized documents, photographs, recorded sound, moving pictures, and text from the Library's Americana collections. There are currently over 50 collections in the American Memory Historical Collections.”
B. The On-Line Exhibit Hall of the National Archives and Records Administration. Among many other things, on-line exhibits of famous American documents, and of: Portrait of Black Chicago (in the 1970s) by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer John H. White; When Nixon Met Elvis, an exhibit that tells behind-the-scenes story of an event on December 21, 1970; Powers of Persuasion, 33 Posters from World War II; and A New Deal for the Arts, a selection of artworks, documents, and photographs.
C. The Chicago Historical Society’s The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory
2. Write a three-page review of a history Web site. For examples of history Web reviews, see the “Web Site Reviews” in the Journal of American History 88 (June 2001), 317-323. For other examples of on-line history exhibits and reviews, look at some of the virtual exhibits and reviews of them listed below.
Exhibit: Do History. Review: Jane Kamensky, Journal of American History 88 (June 2001), 317-318.
Exhibit: Africans in America. Review: Tracey Weis, Journal of American History 88 (June 2001), 318-319.
Exhibit: Without Sanctuary: Photographs and Postcards of Lynching in America. Review: David Phillips, Journal of American History 88 (June 2001), 319-320.
Exhibit: Mark Twain in His Times. Review: Carl Smith, Journal of American History 88 (June 2001), 320-321.
Exhibit: Panoramic Maps, 1847-1929. Review: Paul Petrik, Journal of American History 88 (June 2001), 321-322.
Exhibit: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: March 25, 1911. Review: Ellen Wiley Todd, Journal of American History 88 (June 2001), 322-323.
Exhibit: Creating American Jews at the National Museum of American Jewish History. Review: Harvey Strum, “Creating American Jews,” The Public Historian 21 (Spring 1999), 161-165.
Exhibit:
Between a Rock and
a Hard Place at the National Museum of American History.
Review: Grace Palladino, “‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’: A History
of American Sweatshops, 1820-Present,” The Public Historian 21
(Winter 1999), 143-147.
Exhibit:
Encyclopedia of Cleveland. Review: Eugene P. Moehring, “Reconnecting
the City: Encyclopedias and Urban History,” The Public Historian 20
(Spring 1998), 63-67.
Exhibits: National Civil Rights
Museum. Review: Michael Honey,
“Doing Public History at the National Civil Rights Museum: A Conversation with
Junaita Moore,” The Public Historian 17 (Winter 1995), 71-84; and
Amy Wilson, review of the National Civil Rights Museum Permanent Exhibition, Journal
of American History 83 (December 1996), 971-976.
Exhibit: Keepers of Culture at the Chicago Historical Society. Review: Thomas J. Jablonsky, “Neighborhoods: Keepers of the Culture,” The Public Historian 19 (Fall 1997), 94-98.
Week 4: Archives
Assignment
1. Reading: Gardner & La Paglia, pp. 57-74, 157-186.
2. Tour of special collections at the Center of Southwest Studies (during class).
Week 5: Oral History and Other Documentation Strategies
Assignment
Documentation project (collective class project; see preceding description of assignment).
Week 6: Local History/ Community History Projects
Assignment
Continued from Week 5.
Week 7: Midterm Review and
Examination
Week 8: Community History;
Theatre and Film Documentaries
A very brief introduction to
collaborative community history theatre and film documentaries, including
examples of historical re-enactments and a contemporary play on Durango’s local
history.
Assignment
View excerpts from theatrical presentations and documentaries (in class).
Week 9: Historical Editing and Publishing
Assignment
Reading: Gardner & La Paglia, pp. 87-128.
Week 10: Museums and Historical Organizations
Assignment
1. Field Trip: TBA
2. Guest speaker: TBA
3. Reading: Gardner & La Paglia, pp. 141-155, 187-201, 233-278, 295-325.
4. Review an exhibition in a history museum. First, read one exhibit review each in the Journal of American History and The Public Historian to become familiar with writing exhibit reviews. Be prepared to discuss the reviews that you read. Then, for your written review, look at the preceding guidelines under Assignments in this syllabus, then select an exhibit at a museum (such as at the Center of Southwest Studies, or at the Animas Museum at the north end of Durango) and write a critical review of it. The review should include the following: a description of the exhibit, your perceptions as to what goals (i.e., themes, historical information, interpretation for late twentieth-century audience, etc.) the exhibit is supposed to meet, and finally, an analysis of whether or not the exhibit successfully achieves those goals, and suggestions for improving the exhibit.
Week 11: Historic
Preservation and Cultural Resource Management
Assignment
1. Reading: Gardner & La Paglia, pp. 129-140.
2. Field Trip: TBA
3. Guest speaker: TBA
Week 12: History in Government; the National Park Service
Assignment
1. Reading: Gardner & La Paglia, pp. 279-294-345-369.
2. Guest speaker: TBA
Week 13: History and Public Policy; History in Business
Assignment
Reading: Gardner & La Paglia, pp. 217-228, 371-395.
Week 14: Issues and Opportunities in Public History
The practice of public history is wont to provoke controversy. Two fairly recent examples are the
Enola Gay Exhibit at the Smithsonian
Institution and the applications of the new social history at the Colonial
Williamsburg living history site.
Assignment
Reading:
A. Gardner & La Paglia, pp. 45-56, 75-86.
B. “History and the Public: What
Can We Handle? A Round Table about
History after the Enola Gay Controversy,” Journal of American History 82 (December 1995), 1029-1144.
Week 15: Presentation of Student Projects; Final Exam