Interpretation of slavery in southern historic house museums

Museums constantly have to adjust and keep pace with the current thought of the field. One of the greatest challenges that historic house museums face at this time is the interpretation of slavery both on site and on their websites. Many house museums are in a transition as they begin to focus more intensely on the subject. Other sites are further along in their understanding and interpretation of slavery. This thesis will determine the importance of research in developing interpretive strategies for historic house museums. On-site and web site interpretations of institutions across the southeast were examined through the use of surveys. Through examining the feedback, it can be seen that those sites that have made greater progress have utilized three strategies: (1) emphasizing research into the subject, (2) conducting archaeology on the site, and (3) integrating the subject into their tours and web sites in a variety of ways.