Reframing History - 2. The Case of the Misunderstood Historical Method

2. The Case of the Misunderstood Historical Method

04/06/22 • 46 min

In this episode, we take a closer look at the first two recommendations in the Making History Matter Report: 1) Talk about critical thinking to shift perceptions about what history involves and 2) Compare historical interpretation to detective work to deepen understanding of historical practice. Hosts Christy Coleman and Jason Steinhauer are joined by three guests: William Convery (Minnesota Historical Society), Stacey Watson (West Kentucky Community and Technical College, The National Quilt Museum), and Sam Wineburg (Stanford University). You can learn more about the Reframing History initiative, download the report, and access transcripts for this podcast at AASLH.org/reframing history. Reframing History is produced by Better Lemon Creative Audio for the American Association for State and Local History.

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1. When I Say History...

We need a more productive public conversation about history. But how do we get on the same page? How do we promote an understanding of history that is inclusive and builds trust in the process of nuanced historical research? In this episode, hosts Christy Coleman and Jason Steinhauer break down the research and strategies in the Making History Matter report. Public historian Lacey Wilson shares her experiences developing a not-so-traditional historic house tour and how visitors reacted. Then AASLH President & CEO John Dichtl and FrameWorks Institute Lead Researcher Theresa Miller go through the research and recommendations step by step. You can learn more about the Reframing History initiative, download the report, and access transcripts for this podcast at AASLH.org/reframing history. Reframing History is produced by Better Lemon Creative Audio for the American Association for State and Local History.

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3. Making Progress Towards Justice

The public widely recognizes the necessity of learning from the past. But there’s a catch. For most people, the meaning of "learning from society’s mistakes” is inseparable from their diagnosis of society today. So in this episode, we discuss one solution to this challenge laid out in the Making History Matter report: “Emphasize how history helps us make progress toward a just world to increase recognition of history’s importance.” To explore the ideas of hard history and learning from the past, we are joined by Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries and Heather Bruegl.