Past Program

Planned in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution, this symposium will consider the role that "Public History," or the teaching of history outside the classroom, plays in helping to define national identity. By reviewing the American experience through museums, commemorations, memorials, and other history-related institutions and activities, this symposium will explore various methods by which Public History can help countries reassess their historic past. Conceived as a meeting of peers, the symposium will bring together scholars, curators, civic leaders, and government officials for thoughtful discussion of the opportunities and challenges confronting historians and policy-makers involved in the formulation of Public History policy. Particular attention will be paid to emerging democracies and states in which perceptions of the recent past are being redefined.