Current Project: Who Tells Your Story: Fictionalizing US History, 1630-1918

“’Hamilton’ and History: Are They In Sync?” asked a 2016 headline in the New York Times.  The answers given to this question, provided by a variety of historians from Eric Foner to Lyra Monteiro, focused on how well Hamilton conforms to various sets of facts. The show either chooses to stretch Alexander Hamilton’s anti-slavery ideology beyond reality, or it does well in capturing his role as a notable abolitionist of the period. It places actors of color in roles based on largely white people and elides the actual contributions of black Americans, but also serves as a realistic depiction of the tangled political complications of the era. Hamilton—as well as other fictionalized accounts of historical people and events across a variety of media—gives scholars of all levels the opportunity to interrogate what it means to be “in sync” with history.

Since this week I am continuing work on my Widenor application, I thought I'd give an update on my current vision for the course. My plans have changed since I wrote last week due to the release of an updated list of courses. My course, “Who Tells Your Story: Fictionalizing US History, 1630-1918,” sets out to explore US history through fictionalized accounts including film, literature, musical theatre, and video games. What does it mean to fictionalize history, and how do we determine whether such a fictional treatment is “good” or “bad”? What liberties can one take with a person or event, and what must one portray faithfully? What does a particular piece of fictionalized history tell us about the time it depicts, and what does it tell us about the time in which it was created? How does the medium of the work make it particularly well- or poorly-suited to convey aspects of historical thought? This course encourages students to ask and provide multiple answers for these questions.

Material for the course will be drawn from a diverse variety of media, and materials assigned will be chosen through consideration of both pedagogical value and accessibility.

One thing I want to highlight a bit further than I have so far is the "What's History?" angle of these fictional pieces. My goal is not just to examine what media can tell us about history, but also how it engages with ideas of making history. As mentioned last week, Hamilton engages with not only historical facts but with the practice of history itself. Many works raise similar questions about historical practice. I intend to use this course to suggest that the practice of history is just as significant to their lives-- perhaps more so-- than the cohesive facts or narratives which these practices uncover or create. 

Any favorite works of fiction that are historical in some way? Any works that you consider particularly good at conveying the realities of historical practice?