Historical Context

	Slavery: Exploring Historical Context
	Exploring Museums

An excellent resource for investigating history is the historical museum. Historical museums bring together historians, archaeologists, curators and educators in order to interpret history through documents, artifacts and architecture. They allow visitors to discover history through the written word as well as visually through exhibits and aurally through interpreters. The best way to experience a museum or historic site is to visit the place in person, but many museums offer excellent websites where visitors can virtually explore the museum and exhibits. Below you will find several virtual museum sites where you will have the opportunity to compare your historical findings with that of the museum professionals!

Home Colonial Diversity Material Culture Study Regional Differences Further Exploration NVCC Home Page My Home Page	Directions: In this exercise visit the museum websites listed below. Compare their interpretation of slave housing to the interpretation you have developed. What similarities or differences do you see between your interpretation and theirs. Does visiting the museum help you understand slave housing better than just the written and visual record did? Explain your answer. Do the various museum interpretations differ from each other? If so, explain how? Which museum do you feel did the best job of interpreting slave life? Once you have answered these questions, post your conclusions on Blackboard and be prepared to discuss the all aspects of your research into slave life in class.

Mount Vernon and Monticello are historical house sites that interpret the homes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, respectively. The slave houses interpreted at the sites are houses that were in plain view of the plantation house. As you examine these slave quarters think about how their proximity to the Master's house may have influenced their architecture.
Visit George Washington's Mount Vernon	Visit Thomas Jefferson's Monticello

	The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a large historical site that interprets the 18th century town of Williamsburg, Viriginia. Williamsburg was the Capitol for the Colony of Virginia in the 18th century. In interpreting the people, society, and politics of the colonial capitol, Colonial Williamsburg does an excellent job of teaching about the lives of slaves who lived in the town. At their Carter's Grove site they also interpret the lives of slaves who lived on plantations outside the town. While visiting the website consider how the lives of slaves would be different if they lived in a town versus on the plantation.
	Visit Colonial Williamsburg: Meet the People Visit Colonial Williamsburg: Experience Slave Life in Colonial Williamsburg

	Historical Context: Written Record	Historical Context: Visual Evidence
	Home	Colonial Diversity	Material Culture	Regional Differences	Further Exploration	NVCC Home Page	My Home Page
	Please send comments to: atucker@nvcc.edu Updated March 30, 2005 ©2004 Alicia L.B. Tucker

Source: Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Sketchbook III, 33 Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore

Slavery: Exploring Historical Context

Exploring Museums

An excellent resource for investigating history is the historical museum. Historical museums bring together historians, archaeologists, curators and educators in order to interpret history through documents, artifacts and architecture. They allow visitors to discover history through the written word as well as visually through exhibits and aurally through interpreters. The best way to experience a museum or historic site is to visit the place in person, but many museums offer excellent websites where visitors can virtually explore the museum and exhibits. Below you will find several virtual museum sites where you will have the opportunity to compare your historical findings with that of the museum professionals!

Home

Colonial Diversity

Material Culture Study

Directions: In this exercise visit the museum websites listed below. Compare their interpretation of slave housing to the interpretation you have developed. What similarities or differences do you see between your interpretation and theirs. Does visiting the museum help you understand slave housing better than just the written and visual record did? Explain your answer. Do the various museum interpretations differ from each other? If so, explain how? Which museum do you feel did the best job of interpreting slave life?

Once you have answered these questions, post your conclusions on Blackboard and be prepared to discuss the all aspects of your research into slave life in class.

Mount Vernon and Monticello are historical house sites that interpret the homes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, respectively. The slave houses interpreted at the sites are houses that were in plain view of the plantation house. As you examine these slave quarters think about how their proximity to the Master's house may have influenced their architecture.

Visit George Washington's Mount Vernon

Visit Thomas Jefferson's Monticello

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a large historical site that interprets the 18th century town of Williamsburg, Viriginia. Williamsburg was the Capitol for the Colony of Virginia in the 18th century. In interpreting the people, society, and politics of the colonial capitol, Colonial Williamsburg does an excellent job of teaching about the lives of slaves who lived in the town. At their Carter's Grove site they also interpret the lives of slaves who lived on plantations outside the town. While visiting the website consider how the lives of slaves would be different if they lived in a town versus on the plantation.

Visit Colonial Williamsburg: Meet the People

Visit Colonial Williamsburg: Experience Slave Life in Colonial Williamsburg

Historical Context: Written Record

Historical Context: Visual Evidence

Please send comments to: atucker@nvcc.edu

Updated March 30, 2005