HIST 396: Introduction to Public History
HIST 396-001: Introduction to Public History
(Fall 2025)
01:30 PM to 02:45 PM TR
Horizon Hall 3010
Section Information for Fall 2025
This class explores the role of historical memory in shaping our understanding of the past by examining the history of museums in the United States, the role of movies in shaping public conceptions of American history, and the influence of celebrations and commemorations in creating a usable past. We will start by examining the role of museums and public performances, such as pageants and parades, in American society and try to come to a better understanding of how places of public celebration and ceremony influence the telling of America’s past. Did you know that many of the United States’ best-known museums and monuments were constructed during a forty-year span between the 1880s and the 1920s? The class will take trips to local/national museums, meet with museum professionals, and explore public history sites in Northern Virginia. In the end, we will examine the role of museums in shaping our understanding of an increasingly diverse American population.
Course Information from the University Catalog
Credits: 3
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
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