"Popular Historymaking"

In my Intro to Public History class last week, we were asked to complete a reading assessment on The Presence of the Past: Popular Uses of History in American Life. When first informed that we would be required to read an entire book in the span of a week, in addition to other required readings, I panicked a little. However, once I delved into the material, I actually found it fascinating.

The book is a composite of surveys completed by the authors in early 1994. The intent was to obtain an accurate sampling of popular historymaking. During the late 1980's when the authors first discussed this idea of assessing how people interact with history, there seemed to be a general thought that historical amnesia or historical illiteracy was sweeping the nation. (1) In an attempt to accurately define the use of history in individuals lives, the others began conducting research. There was an extensive amount of pre-testing and testing that went into these surveys. Not to mention the vast amount of data presented after completion.

To some this may sound like a daunting or boring read. However, the authors convert the data to make interesting interpretations of the information. Anyone who has ever had a statistics course can understand the dedication it took to complete this research. Perhaps that in itself helps the reader develop at least a mild affection for the book.

What resulted from their dedication was that while gender, race, and location did influence the type of history individuals interacted with, it did not significantly reduce the frequency. African-Americans were more likely to be moved by historical sites and readings involving the Civil Rights Movement. Native American were more detailed and dedicated to Tribal history. Caucasian women were more likely to be involved in creating and maintaining family trees and heirlooms. Caucasian men were more likely to continue traditions and collections started by grandparents or great-grandparents. While the type of  history that the individuals were engaging in did vary, the intensity or frequency showed to have little change across the board.

Obviously the book presented much more in-depth looks into each aspect. However, that is a brief version of the subject matter.

I am fascinated by both the idea to have completed the survey and the findings presented. I would be greatly interested to see this survey completed again, during this time frame. I think we would find people engaged even more frequently and with more intensity in popular history making. With the advancement of smart phones and the internet more people are viewing data at a much faster rate. Sites such as Ancestry.com offer information in seconds. And what is Facebook if not a public, electronic diary?

The research completed in this book, along with the interpretations of the data are invaluable to the field of Public History. Though the responses date from over 20 years past, it would be a logical assumption that, as mentioned before, the populous has increased their involvement and craving for popular historymaking. Engaging people in a way that allows them to feel control of and navigate through history, is the primary goal, after all. This research gives all current and future historians information on how to do just that.






Rosenzweig, Roy, and David P. Thelen. The Presence of the Past: Popular Uses of History in American Life. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.