Purpose:
Public history includes the ways in which the past is explained, characterized, engaged, and presented to various audiences. Of the more than 35,000 cultural non-profit organizations that exist today in America, more than half of them are related to history, whether as a historic house museum, a local historical society, or other site accessible to the public. “The Practice of Public History” explores the problems of shifts in collective memory, competing constituencies, methods of interpretation, and identification of modern relevance in the varied forums where public history can be practiced and projected, from museums and commemorative spaces to social media feeds and film. For this class, we will explore the home of George Washington – Mount Vernon – virtually.

Preparation:
Please read through both of the websites listed below before visiting the virtual tour. You will need this information as context to write your paper effectively.

1. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/mount_vernon.html
2. https://www.mountvernon.org/ [“The Estate”]