Brooklyn Historical Society Research Paper

In 1804, the first museum opened in New York City, and it transformed society and culture in a dramatic way. Over the next 200 years, New York City became home to hundreds of cultural institutions and historic sites. Residents and visitors alike experienced this cultural uproar in a positive way. New York City became a bustling cultural center expanding the intellectual horizons of thousands of people. The New York Historical Society, The National Academy Museum, and The Brooklyn Historical Society paved the way for future art and cultural organizations and museums to flourish within the five boroughs.

Founded in 1804, The New York Historical Society set out to explore the layered political, cultural, and social history of New York City. Located

In only a few decades, Brooklyn had grown from a tiny agricultural backwater to the 3rd largest city in the country. Civic pride was at an all-time high. Many of its citizens believed they needed to commemorate Brooklyn’s rural past before it quickly faded from memory. For 152 years their mission statement has been, “Brooklyn Historical Society connects the past to the present and makes the vibrant history of Brooklyn tangible, relevant, and meaningful for today 's diverse communities, and for generations to come.” As stated by the museums pamphlet, the founders of the Long Island Historical Society were amid the city’s most prominent citizens, whose families could trace their Brooklyn roots back to the 17th and 18th centuries. They established the Society as a library dedicated to preserving the history of America, and New York State. By the early 20th century, Brooklyn had become part of the Greater City of New York, and the Society evolved to meet the needs and demands of new generations of Brooklynites. During World War I, the LIHS contributed to the war effort by transforming its 600-seat auditorium into a Red Cross