TRUTH AND ACCOUNTABILITY AT REGIONAL HISTORY MUSEUMS: NAVIGATING INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND NEEDS IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY APPALACHIA

Abstract

Unpacking difficult history has become an increasingly significant topic in public history over the last decade. Attempts to understand difficult historical topics have pushed museum professionals and public historians to create frameworks, processes, and guidelines to define and address interpretation and education surrounding difficult history. This dissertation addresses difficult historical topics in Appalachia such as enslavement and Indigenous removal, and seeks to analyze how small-to medium-sized history museums and institutions are interpreting such issues in the twenty-first century. Using three very different small-to medium-sized history museums in Appalachia as case studies, this dissertation explores institutional responsibilities and current interpretation practices of difficult history regionally. Throughout this dissertation, the question of “What’s so difficult about history in Appalachia” will be continually addressed as museum exhibitions, resources, and research are analyzed.