HIS 397 - History Museums in the United States (3 cr.)

Traces the social and cultural development of U.S. history museums from the “cabinets of curiosities,” to patriotic houses and re-created villages, to today’s diverse organizations. Examples include Colonial Williamsburg, Seneca Falls, New York’s Tenement Museum, New Bedford’s Whaling Museum, and Elvis’s Graceland. Topics encompass the changing definition of historic, the conflicting uses of the past, and controversies over inclusion, representation, and contemporary politics.
Liberal arts
Prerequisite(s): HIS 101 or HIS 102 or POI.