Interpreting Slavery at National Trust Sites
District of Columbia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia | Susan P. Schreiber | Posted:Historic sites often grapple with the interpretation of controversial or unpleasant topics. Susan Schreiber's case study follows six National Trust Historic Sites—Belle Grove, James Madison's Montpelier, Oatlands, Woodlawn, Cliveden, and Decatur House—as they evaluate and revise their interpretation of slavery to the public. The goal for this project was to advance the process of interpreting the site more holistically and in particular to incorporate the interpretation of slavery into the core public offerings: public tours of the houses and interpretive signage and self-guided tours of the landscape. The project was organized around five day-long workshops spread over six months and led by Dr. John Schlotterbeck of DePauw University. Between meetings, the site teams conducted research and interpretive planning, and by the end, the sites were very different places for both staff and the public. READ MORE »
