NCPH 2016 Session 33

Early American Historians and the Pursuit of an Inclusive Past

This roundtable addresses the dilemma of how early American historic sites (physical and virtual) can increase their relevance to 21st-century audiences in an age of shrinking budgets and expanding new media. We will explore creative ways to explicitly connect the distant past to the present and develop a set of best practices for effectively using artifacts and documents to create more inclusive and accessible interpretations of early America’s diverse population.

Participants: Rosalind Beiler, University of Central Florida; Christopher Hendricks, Armstrong State University; Laura Keim, Stenton Museum, Historic Germantown; Molly Kerr, George Washington’s Mount Vernon; Julie Richter, College of William and Mary; Judith Ridner, Mississippi State University

http://twitter.com/GoldieYock/status/710831723324514304

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pumped for Early America sesh! #ncph2016 #s33 pic.twitter.com/ERabcHNDw8

— Rebecca Brenner Graham, PhD (@TheOtherRBG) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/khannahblog/status/710835030629732352

A full house for #s33 on early American historic sites #ncph2016

— Dr. Hilary Miller (@hlmiller11) March 18, 2016

So excited to see a packed crowd for early America and public history. #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Anne Lindsay (@ALindsay45) March 18, 2016

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Early America is underrepresented in PH because we have no oral histories and fewer visual representations #ncph2016 #s33

— M. Churay (@mfcscholar) March 18, 2016

Is early American history too distant and intangible for modern audiences? How do we close the gap? #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Hilary Miller (@hlmiller11) March 18, 2016

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Wachovia bank was founded by the Moravians. #ncph2016 #s33

— Zach Klitzman (@ZachHistory) March 18, 2016

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The Tom Sawyer approach – getting people to pay for your preservation project! #ncph2016 #s33

— ❄️🌻A. Nicole Hill 🌻❄️ (@A_N_Hill) March 18, 2016

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Renting out historic garden plots at Winston Salem to local gardeners with a historic vegetable list. So smart. #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Anne Lindsay (@ALindsay45) March 18, 2016

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http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710840345412681728

Speaking now: Laura Keim of @Stenton_Museum, a Colonial Dames site in Philly #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710840914126741504

Laura Keim's talk reminds me how much I'd like to see a book on the hist of the Dames as public historians & preservationists #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Marla Miller (@MarlaAtLarge) March 18, 2016

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.@Stenton_Museum presentation very light on being "inclusive"…surprisingly uninspired. #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

. @Stenton_Museum uses free events that aren't always mission-related to intro new visitors to the site… So SO important #s33 #ncph2016

— M. Churay (@mfcscholar) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710842509853855745

Now speaking: Molly Kerr, archaeologist @MountVernon on sharing data from excavations from 1980s and 90s #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/GoldieYock/status/710842532771528704

Kerr: https://t.co/Lc8OGDdmG7 shares artifacts catalog & documentary record to explore white & black communities @MountVernon #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710842858614493184

I dislike the use of the verb "provisioned" to describe things GW gave to slaves…is it just me? #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710843146591195139

Nine to ten miles "walking distance" for George Washington at Mount Vernon. #GettingInFitbitSteps #ncph2016 #s33

— Zach Klitzman (@ZachHistory) March 18, 2016

Focusing on the everyday – buttons at Mt Vernon reveal intersections of white and black lives in 18th century #ncph2016 #s33

— ❄️🌻A. Nicole Hill 🌻❄️ (@A_N_Hill) March 18, 2016

Kerr shares great tips for getting students and volunteers to do good transcription work from historical documents #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710843400153665537

Mt Vernon transcription project is a fantastic way of engaging undergrads in public history #ncph2016 #s33

— ❄️🌻A. Nicole Hill 🌻❄️ (@A_N_Hill) March 18, 2016

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Kerr: 33,000 events in database, 551 identified individuals who lived/worked @MountVernon, 991 unique individuals–amazing! #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

Mount Vernon exclusively using interns & volunteers to do data entry in archeology database. Guess it still enjoys free labor #ncph2016 #s33

— Zach Klitzman (@ZachHistory) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710844920391716864

Julie Richter of @williamandmary talks about Virtual Jamestown project, started in 1998/99 #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710845201594650625

So impressed to see an ASL interpreter in #s33 #ncph2016–I hope he's provided by the conference and not the attendee?

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

Mount Vernon crowdsourcing project, amazing. So proud to have participated and eager to see the future. Thanks Molly Kerr! #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Anne Lindsay (@ALindsay45) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710845520235905024

Richter: Virtual Jamestown now used as an archive–valuable resource, but not what it was intended to be #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

Virtual Jamestown autocorrects 17th century spelling. Now that's good Digital History! #ncph2016 #s33

— Zach Klitzman (@ZachHistory) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710845979696746497

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Richter: "American Colonial Experiences" project: aims to pull together all cross cultural contacts in colonial America #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710846372078030849

Richter: Project started in 2004, still not finished, partially because too much scholarship to deal with! #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

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Richter shares adorable image of @colonialwmsburg costumed interpreter holding cell phone used to advertise h.s. summer progs #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

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Audience comment: new challenge with transcription with students: lots of college students now don't read cursive #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

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Discussing strategies for dealing with potential transcribers who can't read cursive (or aren't as familiar with it) #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Hilary Miller (@hlmiller11) March 18, 2016

Major issue starts off our discussion: what do we do with all our students that can't read cursive if we're transcribing? #NCPH2016 #s33

— M. Churay (@mfcscholar) March 18, 2016

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.@Cliveden_House as example of a site that is doing good work in including aspects of diff past: largest slaveowners in PA #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

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Judith Ridner: Part of difficulty is also that conservatives tend to pressure early American sites to tell "democracy" story #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

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Richter: Hamilton has generated tons of discussion among students abt gender and race in early US–great to hear! #s33 #ncph2016 #hamiltunes

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

Have high school American history courses become less inclusive in their investigation of the past? #ncph2016 #s33

— ❄️🌻A. Nicole Hill 🌻❄️ (@A_N_Hill) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710850429085728768

http://twitter.com/GoldieYock/status/710850502213373953

Audience comment: issue of docent discomfort in sharing race/gender interpretations done by historic site staff #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710850616864677888

How much does docent discomfort affect historical interpretation at early American historical sites? A lot, probably. #ncph2016 #s33

— ❄️🌻A. Nicole Hill 🌻❄️ (@A_N_Hill) March 18, 2016

Audience comment: public doesn't expect slavery interpretation at 18th century sites, even though they now do at 19th c & CW #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710851118037868544

Audience comment: Editing the papers of the Pinckneys, great source material online to tell stories of non-rich-white-men #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

The white male narrative does not satisfy the public, and why should it? Most of the public are not white males! #S33 #ncph2016 #diversity

— Jimmie Lee Vaughn (@jimmievon) March 18, 2016

Audience comment: tendency to suggest that independence inevitable at 18th century sites #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

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Audience comment: Minutemen site has started dialogue about bullying re: their tactics #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710852427998748672

Docent at county owned site outside of Philly, not allowed to discuss anything beyond what told by site. Shocking. #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

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Site where they won't allow docents to discuss issues is Pottstown Manor. Shameful. #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

Discussion #2: How can we work to make early Am sources and sites more relevant to the present day? (Is this worthy goal?) #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710853908340592644

Early American frontier has a lot of connections to modern terror and fear. #ncph2016 #s33

— Zach Klitzman (@ZachHistory) March 18, 2016

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Is it important that early American sites try to be relevant? Yes! It's essential, given our present is grounded in this past #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

Audience ?: How to make visible important changes in the landscape form the 18th c to today? suggestion of digital tools #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

Disappointing but not surprising to see dramatic diff in racial makeup of this session vs #s29 on grad students of color #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

Audience comment from funder: doesn't use "relevance," instead "connecting" "contemporary events," etc #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710856993033084928

Audience comment from worker @colonialdames site, difficulty getting community in because of exclusivity of the organization #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

Keim: problem of having two audiences: white funding body (@colonialdames) and black community @Stenton_Museum #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710857790689058816

Final ?: What best practices do we employ to make early American source materials & sites more accessible & relevant? #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

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.@magpie: make interpretation more dialogic, especially in social media! #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710858607068368896

To be more inclusive: start from the bottom up, Somerset Place as a good example; follow model of @tenementmuseum #s33 #ncph2016

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

To continue convo on inclusion at early Am sites, email [email protected] and [email protected] #s33 #ncph2016 #twitterstorians

— Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro (she/zie) is not leaving. (@intersectionist) March 18, 2016

http://twitter.com/magpie/status/710859646567915520

After Storify announced they were discontinuing their services in 2018, NCPH preserved these Storifies on our website.