In 2014, social media is the fastest form of communication, and there is an outlet for anybody and everybody to express their interests and opinions. With this comes a new way to present and discuss history, even while it is happening. Blogging provides a niche for any area of the past to be analyzed and discussed in public, by anyone from Ph.D. historians to journalists to the general public. Continue reading
Category Archives: History Blogging
How Can Historians Bring the Past into the Present?
Can the arbiters of the past tear themselves away from it? This question repeatedly entered my thoughts during Edward Ayers’ visit to our class in mid-November when he discussed his role in digital scholarship’s advancement in the study of history and the current status of modern technological use in the field. His most notable contribution to digital history, a massive resource of primary documents from two counties on opposing sides of the Civil War called the Valley of the Shadow, has undergone remarkably little alteration since its creation in 1990 (aside from the actions taken to keep it internet-accessible). While prominent historians like Dr. Ayers press for the field of history to move forward with digital accessibility and digital research methods, they have been disappointed with the pace of change. Continue reading