Interpreting the Civil War at Museums and Historic Sites

Edited by Kevin M. Levin

Publication date:

22 September 2017

Length of book:

136 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Dimensions:

263x185mm
7x10"

ISBN-13: 9781442273689

Public historians working at museums and historic sites focused on the Civil War era are tasked with interpreting a period of history that remains deeply controversial. Many visitors have strong connections to historic sites such as battlefields and artifacts as well as harbor strong convictions about the cause of the war, its consequences and the importance of slavery. Interpreting the Civil War at Museums and Historic Sites surveys how museums and historic sites approached these challenges and others during the Civil War sesquicentennial (2011-2015). In doing so, this book offers museums and history professionals strategies to help shape conversations with local communities, develop exhibits and train interpreters. With the ongoing controversy surrounding the display of the Confederate battle flag and monuments, there has never been a more opportune moment to look critically at how the Civil War has been interpreted and why it continues to matter to so many Americans.

Each chapter is written by a professional public historian currently working at a museum or historic site. They cover topics such as:

Building relations with the public
How specific museums interpreted the war and overcame challenges of location, audience, funding
How the National Park Service and Georgia Historical Society approached commemorating important anniversaries

Chapter 1: Among the Ruins: Creating and Interpreting the American Civil War in Richmond - Christy S. Coleman
Chapter 2: Billy Yank, not Johnny Reb: Focusing Civil War Exhibits on the Union in Virginia - Mark Benbow
Chapter 3: A Civil War Museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin? - Daniel Joyce, Douglas Dammann, Jennifer Edginton
Chapter 4: Civil War Public History For The Next Generation - James Percoco
Chapter 5: From Tokenism to True Partnership: The National Park Service’s Shifting Interpretation at the Civil War’s Sesquicentennial - John M. Rudy
Chapter 6: New Wine in Old Bottles: Using Historical Markers to Reshape Public Memory of the Civil War - W. Todd Groce
Chapter 7: Commemoration, Conflict, and Constraints: The Saga of the Confederate Flag at the South Carolina State House - Eric Emerson
Chapter 8: Getting to the Heart: The Intersections of Confederate Iconography, Race Relations, and Public History in America - Dina Bailey and Nicole Moore

Kevin Levin has edited a collection that will inform and inspire public historians who are committed to interpreting the Civil War in all its complexity. The authors draw on their experiences as educators, administrators, interpreters, and historians, as they analyze successful—and failed—strategies for interpreting the war. This volume will be welcomed by public historians and museum professionals who want to connect the Civil War-era with urgent issues in contemporary life.