Women’s History & Public History

In the field of public history, the interpretation of women’s history has become a hot topic with increasing attention and emphasis being placed on including women's perspectives in museum exhibits and other public history initiatives. This post is a literature review and essay on how women's history has historically been presented via museums and historic…

Women for Abolition

The long road to freedom and the abolition of slavery was paved by many people working towards that goal, including men and women, black and white, Northerners & Southerners. Many African American abolitionists were former slaves, who had either gained freedom through "official" means (were emancipated by those who enslaved them) or had escaped slavery.…

Dumbarton Oaks Museum & Gardens

Recently, I toured Dumbarton Oaks, which is a research library and collection in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The collection and estate was donated to Harvard University by Robert and Mildred Bliss, collectors of art and artifacts from around the world. The Blisses were particularly fascinated with Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art, as well as…

#PlayLikeAGirl: 5 Pioneering Female Drummers

The US National Archives' #19forthe19th Instagram Challenge is highlighting women's history for 19 weeks in celebration of the centennial of the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote. This week's theme? #PlayLikeAGirl I decided to take a look at pioneering female musicians who play instruments specifically female drummers, who continue to remain a…

#19forthe19th: Women Abolitionists

Fittingly, the US National Archives Instagram Challenge in honor of the centennial of the 19th Amendment has assigned the theme of Women Abolitionists to fall on June 19th, Juneteenth, the day that remaining enslaved people were emancipated in the state of Texas in 1865 after the end of the Civil War. The celebration of freedom…