FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
Isabel Hidalgo, a graduate student at FAU and intern with the FAU Libraries' Special Collection Department, curated a unique online exhibit that features the rare materials from the Marvin & Sybil Weiner Spirit of America Collection.
The 35-minute video exhibit entitled "Morning Star of That Liberty: Conflict and Controversy in Early American Press,1735-1805" is an exciting presentation that delves into the intricate details of the early press and a few scandals that occurred. Most notably, Hidalgo highlights the role of James Callender a political pamphleteer and journalist, who was hired by Thomas Jefferson to attack John Adams and the Federalists. To persuade public opinion Callender published rumors about Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemmings and a report that details an affair between Alexander Hamilton and Maria Reynolds. This form of scandal and rumor would become standard practice for future elections.
This example is just one of the snippets of information that Hidalgo was able to write about and prove with the material she found in the Spirit of America Collection.
"Working on my exhibit with Victoria Thur and Special Collections has been an amazing experience," said Hidalgo, who is a graduate student in the History Department. "I received so much fantastic guidance, support, and encouragement throughout the creation of my exhibit. I can’t thank everyone from the department enough!"
This special project came to fruition when Hidalgo took an internship with the Special Collections department. She was tasked with creating an online exhibition on a topic related to American history using the books from the Marvin & Sybil Weiner Spirit of America Collection. The Spirit of America Collection has more than 13,000 books, pamphlets, government publications, newspapers, and serials, including rare works from as early as the 16th century.
Hidalgo said this internship has been rewarding and a great learning opportunity. She added, "for those interested in public history, libraries, archives, or history in general, reaching out to the Wimberly Library Special Collections faculty and staff is a must."
For more information about Hidalgo's project, click here.
