Summary
The Tenement Museum in New York City helps students learn about U.S. history by letting them experience it through recreated apartments of immigrant and African American families. The museum aims to make history feel real and relatable by focusing on everyday people rather than just famous figures.
Key Facts
- The Tenement Museum is in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City.
- The museum recreates apartments from the 1860s to the 1980s to show the lives of immigrant, migrant, and African American families.
- Kat Lloyd, vice president of programs and interpretation, guides students through these historical experiences.
- The museum encourages visitors to touch and experience items like the original banister from 1863.
- Students see artifacts, like a book of Abraham Lincoln's speeches, owned by historical figures who lived in the tenement.
- The museum provides an alternative lesson plan by focusing on the lives of ordinary people rather than only prominent historical figures.
- History teacher Mike Agovino and author Clint Smith emphasize the value of teaching history from the perspective of everyday people.
