The Power of Place Reflection Paper

HIST A170 – Reflection Assignment – Choice B

The Power of Place Reflection Paper (Week 16)

Points: 30 points of overall grade

Note: Although this is a reflection paper, it is still considered a formal writing assignment. Your writing style, therefore, should not be informal.

At the beginning of the course, I asked you “why should it matter?” “Why should you care?” HISTORY DOES MATTER! Additionally, PLACE MATTERS! This course has focused heavily on the power of place.

Go to this map of National Park Service Sites, search around, and choose one HISTORIC PLACE representing a person or event from the first half of US History (colonial -1876). These sites stand today as a reminder of the past. But what past do they present to a contemporary (21st century) audience?

Peruse the chosen site’s website (pay particular attention and time to the “Learn about the Park” tab)

1. Provide a description of the historic site, what you know about it, and what it presents to a contemporary audience. Is it patriotic? Is it sad? Does it depict an individual? A group of people? An event? Where is it located? Etc. In other words, what is the focus of this historic site (provide elaboration here).

Connect your historic site to material we learned in class (put the site into a larger historical context).

1. How does this site relate to events, topics, themes, keywords etc. that we discussed in this United States history class and/or read in your OER textbook and reader?
2. Provide THREE clear and specific examples from the course and elaborate.
3. Lastly, in a brief paragraph, suggest how you might complicate the narrative presented through the site to present the 21st century public with a more complex understanding of the past. Note: the site may already provide a complex view of the past, but there is always room for improvement and further analysis!