Research conducted and analyzed highlights that the general public and target audience of 18 -24-year-olds do not have extensive background knowledge of United States Reconstruction beyond that of high school if they had not taken history-related classes or conducted historical research into topics of interest. This research has informed my exhibit design thinking as well as how artifacts and information will be portrayed. First, I will need to provide extensive background information on United States Reconstruction, particularly if an individual has not studied that time period apart from formal education such as if their only exposure to United States Reconstruction occurred over a decade in the past. I believe it is best to provide a biographical sketch of specific members of Congress or important individuals. Next, I believe it is important to focus my exhibit within the context of a specific state such as Virginia to narrow down my audience and create new questions. This will occur regardless of finalized topic. The study has encouraged me to reconsider my questions or even if it would be better to switch to a new topic depending on geography and visitor interest. Nevertheless, I still believe that an exhibit for Radical Republicans in Congress through correspondence, newspaper articles, and other media could be an exciting exhibit if it is created in such a way that piques the interest of a very specific audience. I believe that most of my artifacts will be text-based such as newspapers because I am interested in how Congress worked to pass the amendment as well as how it was portrayed by the 19th-century media. I believe lessons obtained from the data could be used for any project such as an exhibit depicting an individual or event as well as how certain events will interest audiences from different locations within different ways. For example, an exhibit located in Virginia depicting George Mason will be of greater interest to Northern Virginia citizens while an exhibit depicting Jesse, Frank, and Robert Sallee James will be of greater interest to Missouri Residents. The research exhibit question will need to be reframed and further analyzed depending on the audience, their location, and topics of specific interest. It will be more narrow or broad depending on prior knowledge and audience interest.
