Themes in American History

Exploring the Barnum Museum led me to believe that people haven’t changed much at all. The only things really different from the modern day are the technology and knowledge. The “Mechanism of  Human Emotion,” is a great example of what I mean. People in any time period in most places in the world have great use for the ability to judge whether a person is telling the truth.

The entertainment hasn’t changed much either. While probably distinctly less sexist and racist, much of today’s entertainment revolves around people who are different. Giants, like the 8 foot tall woman on the second floor, and Siamese twins resemble things commonly seen on the Discovery Channel, or National Geographic. To be specific, I found “The Drunkard or The Fallen Saved” to be hilarious, despite its age.

While primitive by today’s standards, the cutting-edge technology of the day seems incredibly important in this museum. The steam engine is praised as a “marvel of modern engineering.” Also, there are exhibits dedicated to fossils, and human development.

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As a historical tool, the website helps one visualize the 19th century.Little things like its layout, the wood, and the wording of the descriptions make it easier to experience the actual exhibits. Visualization only goes so far, however, eventually one might want to delve in deeper, where small pictures and hardly legible text would do no good.

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