Discussion Post: After the Fact
You have the option of reading a chapter from After the Fact called, Material Witness. This chapter deals with the changing situation with material goods in the first half of the 19th century (1800s).
In this chapter the authors of the book want to address: what are the challenges that historians' face when working with physical objects when trying to reconstruct the past?
So first you need to read the Material Witness chapter, and then answer the following 3 questions:
o Besides the objects themselves, what are some of the sources of information that can be used to help us understand material culture?
o How did the changes to buildings, discussed at a number of points in the chapter, reflect social and cultural changes that the US was going through in the late 18th and early 19th centuries?
o How is the idea of a "consumer revolution" as described on page 13 (last page) reflected in the differences between the two major paintings Quilting Frolic (pg. 5) and the parlor engraving (pg.11)?
The response must include a reference list. Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.