"History is the present. That's why every generation writes it anew. But
what most people think of as history is its end product, myth.
E. L. Doctrow

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf
Of Hayes, Michael (Dann)
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 1:14 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "Enslaved"

Can't agree with you. To use any term in any context on a museum list
suggests that that term is being used in some way within a museum setting.

-------------------

If taking someone on a tour of art work by any of the master's, you don't
discuss how that artwork would be developed today. You explain the
techniques and tools of the era (if different). Nothing says you can't
discuss how it would be done, today, though.

I would suggest you do the same thing in a museum with historical context.
It does not have to be a living history presentation, nor should it be. It
is the purpose of a museum, and the presenter, to present the historical
context of the item in question. Was there any mention of not taking any
questions? Was there an implication that the presenter cannot discuss the
item using a 20th century viewpoint?

It isn't that anyone has "a very naive view of history." I think there are
those who seem to have a very naive view of how to present history. There
are many different methods, and they all work. In my particular opinion, I
believe that any historical presentation is made stronger by using
terminology, clothes, etc., from that era, no matter the era. And the
discussion should not be limited to a certain era.

I choose to let the viewer make their own decisions. Sure, I can say slavery
in the 20th century is unthinkable. However, I also have to explain the
1800s? Slavery was legal in the US until December 1865. Just a fact of
history, nothing more.

No different when describing World War II. Japenese-Americans were placed in
camps throughout the US. Why not Germans and Italians? You have to discuss
the thinking of the times, and that was only in the 1940s. Would we do that
now? I hope not.

Remember what Cicero (106-43 B.C.) said.

"The first law of the historian is that he shall never dare utter an
untruth.  The second is that he shall suppress nothing that is true.
Moreover, there shall be no suspicion of partiality in his writing, or of
malice."


That holds true, today.

Dann Hayes




> ----------
> From:         Nicholas Burlakoff
> Reply To:     Museum discussion list
> Sent:         Thursday, November 6, 2003 8:48 AM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: "Enslaved"
>
> Dann Hays writes: "Once we start putting 20th century (21st century?)
> outlooks on what was going on moe [sic] than 100 years ago, then we have
> lost the reason for developing the exhibits in the first place."
>
> First of all, there was no mention of presenting any historical item, the
> question was about a term-so this is a new thought that has little to do
> with the original question. Second, it all depends on what one is doing.
If,
> one is presenting a 1st person reenactment then obviously one uses the
> terminology and concepts of the time. On the other hand, if one is
> presenting a historical item in today's reality one will use today's
> language and concepts. In making a historical presentation one should
> explain the circumstances and context operational at the time, but one
> cannot escape the point-of-view of one's own time-nor would it be good
> history.
>
> It appears that many folks have a very naïve view of history. History is
not
> the recounting of facts of a particular time; that would be "chronology."
> The term "history" always implies a definite point of view, be it of the
> 21st or 19th century.
> nburlakoff
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf
> Of Hayes, Michael (Dann)
> Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 10:03 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: "Enslaved"
>
> Just one thought in the discussion.
>
> If you are presenting an historical item on slavery, shouldn't it be
> presented as it was in the time period where the event took place?
>
> Once we start putting 20th century (21st century?) outlooks on what was>
> going on moe than 100 years ago, then we have lost the reason for
developing
> the exhibits in the first place.
>
> You can have some kind of scenario where the reference is discussed,
today,
> but I think it would be more worthwhile to use the basic terminology that
> was used in the era you are looking at.
>
> Dann Hayes
> Grinnell College
> Grinnell, Iowa
>
>
> > ----------
> > From:         Deb Fuller
> > Reply To:     Museum discussion list
> > Sent:         Thursday, November 6, 2003 5:31 AM
> > To:   [log in to unmask]
> > Subject:      Re: "Enslaved"
> >
> > Hi Jay,
> >
> > --- Jay Heuman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > > One poster provided a great example (Amistad) of how the slave trade
> tried to
> > > change those who were "enslaved" into "slaves."  Enslavement is a
> process;
> > > slaves are usually the result of the process.
> >
> > That was a good point. But if slaves were born and raised in slavery,
were
> they
> > ever technically "enslaved"? I doubt slave owners went around and said
> "*poof*,
> > you're a slave." It also implies that these people were free to begin
> with,
> > which they weren't. Thus using the word "enslaved" seems to give them a
> status
> > which they did not have.
> >
> > For example, a Roman legion captures and enemy city and all those who
> weren't
> > killed were enslaved. There I can see using the term "the enslaved
Gauls"
> which
> > implies that at one point they were free.
> >
> > But on a plantation where all the slaves probably had been slaves all
> their
> > lives, using the term "enslaved" gives the impression that they were
> something
> > other than slaves, which they weren't. I can see using the term for
early
> > American site where blacks were brought over from Africa and enslaved.
But
> was
> > a slave born to a slavery ever really "enslaved" at one point? Certainly
> not in
> > the way the first Africans imported to the colonies or a conquered
people
> were.
> >
> > > Looking at the etymology of "slave" (below), one sees the assumption
> that
> > > slaves are inherently 'lesser than'.  To "enslave" is the attempt to
> impose a
> > > 'lesser than' status.
> >
> > Another good point, but again, you can't have a lesser status if you
never
> had
> > a higher status to begin with.
> >
> > Deb
> >
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