Individual Presentation or Panel Title
“The Price of Freedom”: Identity, Unity, and Patriotism at the National Museum of American History
Abstract
As institutions charged with providing the last word on our collective past, museums carry the responsibility of representing events and history in a way perceived as true. For a nation that was founded through conflict and is currently enmeshed in global conflict, war representation in national museums is one way to shape public perception of American involvement in past and present engagements. This presentation works to answer the question: How does the permanent exhibition "The Price of Freedom" at the National Museum of American History present the American conflict experience? The exhibition, which uses chronological progression through American conflicts to express the physical and ideological development of the United States, was examined for evidence of a specific message and a hierarchy of values represented by the configuration and presentation of artifacts, media, and text. This presentation will explore and illuminate the narrative that arises from visiting “The Price of Freedom.”
Location
Camp Younts
Start Date
21-4-2012 1:30 PM
End Date
21-4-2012 2:20 PM
“The Price of Freedom”: Identity, Unity, and Patriotism at the National Museum of American History
Camp Younts
As institutions charged with providing the last word on our collective past, museums carry the responsibility of representing events and history in a way perceived as true. For a nation that was founded through conflict and is currently enmeshed in global conflict, war representation in national museums is one way to shape public perception of American involvement in past and present engagements. This presentation works to answer the question: How does the permanent exhibition "The Price of Freedom" at the National Museum of American History present the American conflict experience? The exhibition, which uses chronological progression through American conflicts to express the physical and ideological development of the United States, was examined for evidence of a specific message and a hierarchy of values represented by the configuration and presentation of artifacts, media, and text. This presentation will explore and illuminate the narrative that arises from visiting “The Price of Freedom.”