Marietta students become public historians at Gettysburg

by Tom Perry

Marietta, Ohio (09/29/2023) — With Marietta College's second annual Experiential Education Day approaching on October 2, the History Department recently showcased its Public History minor with an immersive trip to Gettysburg National Military Park.

Five students in Dr. Brandon Downing's "Civil War Memory and Commemoration" course learn how monuments, statues, and cemeteries shape public views of the past. Since most Americans don't take history classes after middle school, historic sites and public historians become their resources.

To prepare, students researched Union and Confederate monuments at Gettysburg. They developed narratives that were factual, engaging, and educational. The students who made the trip were Katie Lively '25 (New Matamoras, Ohio), Tyson Riggs '25 (Marietta, Ohio), Liam Sherman '25 (Chicago, Illinois), Landon Thompson '26 (Marietta, Ohio), and Arwen Waite '25 (New Berlin, Pennsylvania).

On location, students presented their research next to chosen monuments, directly on the battlefield. As Downing explains, "They told compelling stories by personalizing people, events, and meanings. Well-told stories make emotional and cognitive connections to history, inspiring listeners to learn more."

Students also learned about controversies surrounding commemoration, and their responsibility as historians to build trust and avoid extremes. Instead, they are taught to rely on research and training for thoughtful storytelling.

The trip wasn't all work, though. Students also toured the museum, met Abe Lincoln, explored the battlefield with a licensed guide, and viewed the animated "Battle of Gettysburg" Cyclorama - a popular form of entertainment in the 1800s before the advent of the motion picture.

By developing skills in research, narrative, and on-site interpretation, Marietta's budding historians gained hands-on Public History experience at a seminal Civil War site. As Downing said, "They brought history to life while preparing for careers illuminating the past."

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy, which was founded in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today, Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution's rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major.

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