Public history

Public history is a broad range of activities undertaken by people with some training in the discipline of history who are generally working outside of specialized academic settings. Public history practice is deeply rooted in the areas of historic preservation, archival science, oral history, museum curatorship, and other related fields. The field has become increasingly professionalized in the United States and Canada since the late 1970s. Some of the most common settings for the practice of public history are museums, historic homes and historic sites, parks, battlefields, archives, film and television companies, new media, and all levels of government. Because it incorporates a wide range of practices and takes place in many different settings, public history proves resistant to being precisely defined. Several key elements often emerge from the discourse of those who identify themselves as public historians: A focus on history for the general public, rather than academics or specialists. The use of historical methods. An emphasis on professional standards, training, and practice. An emphasis on the usefulness of historical knowledge in some way that goes beyond purely academic or antiquarian purposes. An aim to deepen and empower the public's connection with and knowledge of the past. These elements are expressed in the 1989 mission statement of the U.S.-based National Council on Public History: "To promote the utility of history in society through professional practice." They are also present in a definition drafted by the NCPH board in 2007, stating, "Public history is a movement, methodology, and approach that promotes the collaborative study and practice of history; its practitioners embrace a mission to make their special insights accessible and useful to the public." However, this draft definition prompted some challenges on the H-Public listserv from people in the field, who raised questions about whether public history is solely an endeavor by professional or trained historians, or if shared historical authority should be a key element of the field.