American Relics and the Politics of Public Memory
By Matthew Dennis, professor emeritus of history and of environmental studies
April 5, 2023
American Relics considers a range of fraught public objects across the expanse of American history, from the gold epaulettes that George Washington wore into battle to the atrocious artifacts of lynching, Civil War souvenirs, and the bullet-riddled door of the Pulse nightclub. Drawing upon an impressive range of source material, Dennis explores the many ways that Americans have invested memory and meaning in relics, cherished and abhorred them, and used them to promote consensus and violence.
Matthew Dennis discusses his work on the “Corporeal Remains” episode of the Massachusetts Historical Society podcast.