Abstract
Ante-bellum homes are found all over the South and serve as museums of Southern Culture and History. Most are open for tours and can thus serve as educational instruments. These homes usually have some kind of museum attached which together with the tours often present an unrealistic picture of Southern history before the Civil War, during Reconstruction and the aftermath of the Jim Crow South. However, these places could serve the vitally needed function of education about slavery and its aftermath. Tours and other educational outreach activities should be refashioned to discuss, frankly, honestly and civilly the role these home played in the days of slavery and its aftermath. There is currently a great deal of controversy about removing Confederate monuments. These homes cannot be removed, particularly when they are not publicly owned. But they can be converted into excellent educational vehicles about the true history of slavery. This paper examines the efforts at one such ante-bellum home, the Shadows on the Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana, that has successfully changed its traditional outreach and now frankly and sensitively discusses the history of slavery and its aftermath with regard to the history of the home that was built in the 1830s. The paper further draws lessons from this successful endeavor and offers suggestions as to how historic homes can be utilized to teach accurate history particularly regarding controversial topics.
Presenters
John RayProfessor, Liberal Studies/Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Montana Technological University, Montana, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
MUSEUMS, HISTORY, EDUCATION, CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS
