Slavery and Public History at the Big House

Abstract

This article considers the public history of slavery at plantation museums in the US South and at country houses in Britain. Drawing on original research, the authors critique recent and current efforts to bring connections between these “Big Houses” and the history of slavery to the fore through different methods of interpretation. These elite residences are argued to have largely obscured such connections historically through distancing, distortion, and denial. However, some notable efforts have been made in recent years to diversify public history narratives and more fully represent histories of enslavement. Comparing these American and British house museums, this article contextualizes public history work at these sites and proposes possible lessons from this research, presenting some points to be taken forward which emerge from this transatlantic comparison.

Sejarah Awam, Pemikiran Dan Aktivisme Omar Mohd Hashim (Public History, Thought and Activism of Omar Mohd Hashim)

“…Keprihatinan Sejarah Awam tentang pendekatan popular juga tergambar dalam pemikiran Omar. Kajian-kajian Wizinsky & Brier (2016), Adamek & Gann (2018) dan Moody & Small (2019) adalah sebahagian penulisan yang memperihalkan kepentingan pendekatan popular dalam artikulasi sejarah. Bahkan tujahan utama kajian Sejarah Awam sendiri untuk mengkomunikasikan potensi item-item popular seperti institusi, internet, filem, tugu, taman sejarah dan lain-lain dalam pembudayaan sejarah.…”