Final Project – Christina O’Farrell

This semester, many digital tools that I had no idea existed were introduced to me. The specific ones we learned this semester helped me to promote my argument in my final exhibit, which was that the Federal Theatre Project influenced entertainment during the ’30s, especially with film. The tools I chose for my exhibit were image glitching, the timeline tool, and image analysis. My specific exhibit was definitely centered more around the visual aspect versus any kind of writing/word aspect. My exhibit was on the FTP and the film industry, which are both topics that require many visual aspects.

I chose to use image glitching for my first skill of my exhibit because it brought to focus more important aspects of the film and performance posters/photos. Glitching has been my favorite tool from this semester because it really transforms an image and helps you view it in a different way, usually a way you wouldn’t have expected it to transform into. 1

I chose to use the timeline tool because it helped to show the difference in the dates between the FTP and the films. It helped highlight the important times in the FTP and helped show that the two films were released after the FTP funded ended, proving my argument that these two were the most influenced films from the FTP.

I chose to use image analysis on my glitched photos because I thought it was important to analyze different parts of the two movie posters and photos. 2 It helped push my point that the advancement in film was to make potential audience members feel more involved and also see detail better, something that they were already able to experience during the FTP performances. It helped gain a better historical view, one could argue.

The history of the 1930’s was something that I wasn’t quite clear on. All I really knew was The Great Depression happened during this time and that was really it. I was able to learn about the literature, music, art, and entertainment of the 1930’s, something that never crossed my mind. 3 Learning that folk music was so huge during this time and that the song “This Land is Your Land” was released during the ’30s and the true meaning behind it was definitely a surprise. History classes only really teach about Herbert Hoover and The Great Depression when talking about the ’30s, so this class definitely gave me a better perspective of what the 1930s was really like. The 1930s really created legacies such as new technology, color in film, and the perseverance of American citizens during hard times.

This semester I was able to learn how to be an ethical citizen and pay more attention to copyright. 4 I never really paid attention to copyright, I just knew it was something to avoid, but I never knew what would classify as it or to even check if anything had restricted rights on it. When we had to do metadata for items we put in Omeka, it taught me a little bit about copyright and I was definitely looking out to avoid any items that had restricted rights on it. Also, learning to fact check everything was something I learned. The article about the professor from George Mason stuck out to me earlier in the semester, and then hearing him explain his story in person only made me feel better about constantly fact checking everything and making sure I have accurate information.

I would say one of the most important things I learned this semester was that using digital tools is a great way to learn history. It adds a different approach to history and helps you analyze in a different way. I almost feel like I learned more about history by using these interactive tools than I would have learned from a textbook.

Omeka exhibit.

Final Project Blog Post

I chose to use image annotation, timeline, and mapping for my final project. I felt that my argument would be best supported through imagery and walking the viewer through the process of my explanation. Image annotation was utilized to depict the travesty that the farmers experienced and give insight to their decisions to leave the Midwest after the dust bowl destroyed their land. 5 Timeline was best to follow the journey of Alan and John Lomax as they recorded styles of music that for the rest of the country may have been largely unheard. Mapping a potential civilian trip through the west showed the uniqueness of the different states in the country, and the opportunities the American Guide Series brought to the people who may have otherwise never left their hometowns, or did not at the time have a strong sense of patriotism.

Using digital tools helps to further develop understanding of the data, as it involves the viewer’s interaction with the information, rather than only looking at a picture or artifact. These tools can be an effective way to reach a variety of learners.

A large concept in class was the importance of obtaining information ethically through the public domain, and that everything not created by the user needs to be referenced. This was not something that I had thought about outside of citing academic sources in research papers. It was interesting to learn that there is no new data, and that because of this idea, everything can be traced back to its origins (thus creating a line of ownership), like with the reading about Alan Lomax’s ownership rights over a Jay-Z song. 6

Another important concept to take away from this class is how digital tools, such as what was used in this exhibit, can enhance the learning and understanding of primary sources. Through this method, we were able to analyze texts, artifacts, sounds, and images in multiple ways. This expanded our learning of the topics beyond simply looking at them. 7

Until now, the 1930s had always been clouded for me by the Great Depression. We learned that the ‘30s were far more about the strength of a nation, and the willpower of its people to pull themselves out of trouble. The history of this period is far more complex than I think its reputation leads us to believe. We have learned that it was not only about the depression, but also about the people’s willingness and drive to make an effort to fix the problems that they were facing, in order to provide for themselves, and other generations, a better future. The legacies left behind by the New Deal are still shaping our country today. Social Security, the Tennessee Valley Authority, as well as the development of the Interstate Highway System have all impacted the ways in which we function as a society. 8 The discovery of new types of music, and the open-ended publication of different forms of art, provided for a resurgence and rebirth of the American artist and redefined our culture. 9

Omeka Exhibit:

http://jessicadoeshistory.com/cnd/exhibits/show/kellystangerfinalproject/intro

Hopeless Times and Dreams of Flight

When I first began this project, I was nervous to say the least. I had an idea of the subject that I wished to study; however, I was unsure as to weather or not a historical theme would emerge from my research. Having completed my project, I am glad to say that I managed to find that topic – the American spirit.

I recognize that this is a broad topic of study, but it the Great Depression provides an excellent look into what the American spirit actually is and not what our history textbooks and wartime propaganda campaigns have made it out to be. I believe that my grandfather, Robert W. Smith said it best: The American spirit is the sum of all who have gone before in this great nation.

In Hopeless Times and Dreams of Flight, I attempt to unravel the mysteries of the American spirit through an examination of primary source interviews, the life history of Oscar Winchell, and a glitched image of a man and boy inspecting an aircraft. These three small collections of evidence have led me to conclude that the American spirit is a combination of individual ingenuity motivated by dreams for the benefit of a nation.

In the first portion of my final project, I employed Voyant Tools to develop a better understanding of how pilots managed to propel themselves into the skies during the Great Depression. I was inspired by Lauren Tilton’s article Race and Place: Dialect and the Construction of Southern Identity in the Ex-Slave Narratives. In her project, Tilton drew conclusions from distant readings of ex-slave narratives collected by the Federal Writer’s Project to understand how dialect segregated African Americans.10

From my own distant readings, I found that the individual drives of pilots brought them to the skies. Although they faced many difficulties, aviators during the Great Depression Era continued to live out their dreams of flight.

In the next portion of my project, I created a Story Map using Knight Lab’s StoryMapJS program. In her article Mapping Racism and Assessing the Success of the Digital Humanities, Sarah Bond argues that maps allow the public to easily access critical information regarding important subjects such as segregation.11

In my own project, I map the life of famed pilot Oscar Winchell and his many adventures. What I drew from this history is that although he was a superb aviator, Winchell was unable to control for many outside forces. In order to survive his flights, Winchell would often have to rely on the aid of others in order to survive. Only through a unified dedication to a cause could Winchell have managed his success.

For the final portion of my project, I created a glitched image of a man and a boy standing next to an airplane. I was motivated to create this image by Michael Kramer’s article Glitching History: Using Image Deformities to Rethink Agency and Authenticity in the 1960s American Folk Music Revival. In this piece, Kramer argues that historians can draw valuable information from images that have been tampered with and draw inspiration for new conclusions about previously discussed historical subjects.12

From my glitched image, I concluded that only through the guidance of President Roosevelt’s administration could the American people have overcome the crisis that was the Great Depression. Individual ingenuity has its limits, and overwhelming challenges require the employment of many different skills and talents in order to be met.

So, what exactly is the American spirit? The answer that I found through this project is that it cannot be captured in a simple, one-line sentence but, rather, is a mosaic of many different talents and abilities that have come together to achieve a greater cause.

The Federal One Project is described in an excerpt from Kenneth Binda’s book All This Music Belongs to the Nation: The WPA’s Federal Music Project and American Society as a coming together of many talented individuals to alleviate the unemployment crisis of the Great Depression.13

Pilots who flew during the Great Depression teach us that although one may have individual abilities, those talents are likely to be forgotten if not put to a higher purpose. The reason we remember President Roosevelt is not simply because of his time in office but because of what he did during that time. He dared to use the federal government to provide relief to the American people and brought his vision to life to lead the nation out of a crisis. Our nation is teeming with men and women just like Roosevelt, all that we must do is tap into this resource.

The Segregation of Tourism

For this project, I discussed the historical question of: How was Tourism affected for African Americans, in the region of North Carolina, due to racial segregation during the Jim Crow Era? From this topic, I learned that through national organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and and local government statues that tourism for African Americans was extremely difficult and could be potentially life-threatening for them. Lynchings and assaults were common and many African Americans avoided the major cities in North Carolina to stay safe. This involved staying away from the towns on the water that dealt the most in trade. For this project, I used mapping, timelines, and image analysis to explore this topic. I felt these skills were the most useful because they easily showed the issues that African Americans dealt with allowed the reader to more easily understand and see what African Americans dealt with while traveling and touring. For example, glitching would not have been a useful skill for this project because it doesn’t provide an useful insight into segregation and tourism. Glitching is when you take a photo and edit its code to distort its original settings and view.1 On the other hand, mapping was a great skill to use because it connects easily with the Green Book, which was a travel guide for African Americans, so they would know where it was safe to travel, or eat, or get gas, or sleep.14

http://jessicadoeshistory.com/cnd/exhibits/show/the-segregation-of-tourism2

The skills discussed above transform sources by allowing a reader to be able to easily understand and incorporate the information to their own life. For example, with the mapping, a reader can compare to places that they have been and see how the place has changed over time or not.

From this class, I learned that the 1930’s was a difficult time for many people, due to the Great Depression and the government created many different organizations to try to get people back to work. This led to the creation of the Federal Works Project which included writing, theatre, arts, and music. Of these projects, the Federal Theatre Project was the least successful because people felt it was given too much money and didn’t produce enough for the money it was given.15 These projects were unique because they appealed to those that either didn’t like or couldn’t do manual labor. The Civilian Conservation Corp focused on the manual labor while the Federal Workers Project appealed to the artists in multiple different areas. This history has a larger significance in the sense that it shows while the government did have its own issues that it did want to get the working American back to work. The government worked to provide for its citizens by giving money to these organization and allowing people to work for their money. Also, history is important as it is to show what not to do in the future. This time period was filled with depression and prejudice, so we should all work together to avoid these issues and try to fix things so these problems never happen again.

In this class, I learned many important topics when it comes to being ethical digital citizens. First, don’t make any posts or blogs about topics or issues that you literally know is false. It is not fair or right for people to think information is correct or usable when it is actually filled with mistakes or problems. Also, in general don’t steal information from another user and claim it as your own information. This is plagiarism and can be illegal in some situations due to copyright. Lastly, copyright and trademark are very complicated issues and you should always make sure to check and avoid any issues surrounding these topics. It is important to check the rules because it is still illegal even if you don’t know so make sure to do your research first. 16

Depictions of African Americans

At the start of this semester, I was mostly unfamiliar with the history of the 1930s. The things I did know were painted using a broad brush in vague terms. I knew that the Great Depression occurred, as did the Dust Bowl and the New Deal. These were things I had obtained in previous history classes, but were mostly an afterthought, as discussion of the time period was relegated to describing the 30s as the period between the two World Wars. While this is accurate, I’ve since learned that it’s far from the full story. Hopefully, my exhibit accurately conveys the skills and information that I’ve learned.

For example, I had almost no knowledge of the folk culture that developed and exemplified the decade17. The nature of the Federal One Project was an interesting discussion, and the content that was created then seems just as relevant now. The extravagant theater productions that created new perspectives on classic works of art laid the groundwork for the many remakes that we see nowadays. Orson Welles thought he could make a version of Macbeth that would appeal to his audience18, just as Greta Gerwig is trying to make Little Women apply to a modern audience with her recent adaptation.

The digital tools we applied and learned about were incredibly practical, in a way that I wasn’t expecting in a history course. At the outset of the course, I was unsure what exactly an examination of the “Digital Past” would look like, or how it would apply to my work and studies. Even as a Journalism major, I had no idea how helpful many of these tools are, whether they help visualize information and data or they simply create new ways of thinking about older sources.

To start, image glitching was a helpful introduction to these digital skills, as it is in many ways a thought exercise. The results of image glitching can be used to reexamine what we think we know about the past, and look at it new ways or perspectives19. By transforming the nature of a source firsthand in a skill assignment, we were able to reassess the different values and limitations of sources that may not have been otherwise considered. Later in the semester, we also saw image glitching used to make a point, to emphasize the shifting nature of our culture and exemplifying the destruction of the myth of the nuclear family20.

For my exhibit, I tried to use the skills that I am most likely to keep with me as I pursue a career in journalism. Soundcite was the first skill that I selected. In traditional journalism, you are limited in the number of senses that you can engage. One is limited to telling a story through written words, without being to fully convey the sounds or smells or feelings associated with an event. Through the Soundcite tool, an extra sense can be added to the storytelling. I also used Voyant’s distance reading tools to create word clouds and links, because word choice is more important now than ever. Finally, I chose to use image glitching because I believe that the content that is omitted or rearranged in an image can be incredibly effective.

At the beginning of this semester, I had no real opinion on the 1930s, and did not know of any real connections between that decade and our current culture. Now, I know that the 1930s’ concept of a definitive American culture21 has permeated our public consciousness for decades. The escapism in films and the accessible nature of folk music are the lasting legacies of the 1930s.

At the end of the day, the digital nature of the course will stick with me. As a young person, I had a passing knowledge of algorithms and how they’d infiltrated our lives, especially as Netflix continues to recommend shows that I have no interest in. Obviously, that algorithm isn’t perfect, but that’s because of how it was programmed by humans. Just as no human is without bias, there is no perfectly neutral or just algorithm22. With the functioning understanding of algorithms I gained through our discussions, I can be more mindful of what information I am feeding algorithms and how they are using that information. Even if I can’t avoid the algorithms, at least I can be aware of how they are created and their effects.

Folk Music and Square Dancing

Folk music in general began in this time period, or at least the recording of folk music did. In some FSA camps, the workers would bring their culture, like instruments and music, to help lighten the mood 23 after a long day at work. One of these unique forms of music, was known as square dancing, which, in a way, incorporated the sound of the dancing 24 with the music to create it’s beat. Not only that, but square dancing requires it’s dancers to dance with pretty much everyone, which can be representative of the theme of togetherness in the Great Depression.

This source was recorded by the Federal Music Project, within a Farm Security Administration camp. You can see how these two federal projects work together, as the workers in the camps would bring their unique flavor of music for the music project to record. The Federal Music project in general liked to focus on bring America together, usually through folk music. 25 However, there were critics of this, but president Roosevelt felt that this music would help unite America in it’s time of need, so he continued it. 26 It sort of, in a way, again connects to the theme of togetherness that these two federal projects would work together to better the culture and people of America. As times got harder, people began realizing that it’s easier to help one another rather than work for oneself.

By embedding the audio, an analysis in a way comes to life. Before, one could only imagine what a song, or person would sound like. By embedding the audio, we can now witness history as we read, by listening to the past and not just hearing about it. By listening to the audio, we can develop our own opinions about the piece instead of just reading about the opinions of the author of the article we read. In doing this, we allow for those reading to create their own view of history while also viewing our own, so they can compare what they think to what we think. This is how history is shaped, by historians comparing each other’s thoughts on pieces of history. Thus, by embedding the audio in the piece, we make the process a whole lot more convenient for the historians reading our articles.

Hispano Music

In the Hispano Music and Culture of the Northern Rio Grande: The Juan B. Rael Collection through the Library of Congress, there are many song recordings and song transcriptions. During the 1930’s, Hispano music consisted of Waltzes and Religious hymns. Religious music was the most popular and through different variations of song lyrics, the ongoing themes were about ending suffering or asking for forgiveness. Waltzes were created for weddings and were considered to be celebratory. Religious hymns are referred to as “Alabados” 24 and are typically worship songs that were most popular in New Mexico and Colorado. The featured Alabado is typically performed during a Holy communion and translates to “The Lord Gave us his body”. Religion plays an immense role during this time period and offers insight on the different thoughts Latino immigrants had during this time period. Although most Alabados are worship hymns, a majaroity of them are about ending suffering and asking God to be able to go to heaven. Aside from Alabados, waltzes offered an entirely different perspective because they were more upbeat and played during festive time periods. Valse De Cadena 27 was a waltz in which dancers would often switch partners all while holding on to each other to form a chain. Most waltzes are instrumental and rarely offer any lyrics. This Valse De Cadena was performed by a dad Mr. Anaya and his two daughters. Mr. Anaya learned to play instruments on his own by listening and watching from afar.

Music in the 1930’s was more religious, and if it was upbeat, there were rarely any words but more instrumental values. While analyzing these songs, it reminded me of Benjamin Filene’s piece on Mastering the Cult of Authenticity where he states that “folk culture challenged the status quo: it challenged dissatisfaction with the emptiness of mass culture”. 28 That statement felt to have followed my journey while diving into this collection because of the uniqueness in the creation of each piece. Most pieces were created by individual families as opposed to one main artist. In Morris Dickstein’s How song, dance, and movies build us out of the Great Depression, he discusses how “The engine of the arts in the ‘30s was not escapism, as we sometimes imagine, but speed, energy and movement at a time of economic stagnation and social malaise.” 29 Dickstein states that emerging in the arts helped Americans reflect, while giving them to opportunity to engage and find their inner voice of creativity. Overall, being able to experience music through text is revolutionary because it gives you a concise experience. While reading, forming conclusions and ideas is normal, however being able to actually listen to what an author is trying to convey makes this a great experience. This is a great way to convey meaning and transport an audience back in time.

Are Slave Narratives Useful?

Back in 1937 President Roosevelt created the Federal Writers Project. He told the people working in the FWP to interview every former slave they could, before they all died, to capture our countries history better. Although it was not a simple task, in her book titled Long Past Slavery: Representing Race in the Federal Writers Project Catherine Stewart states: “Competing visions of the past and conflicting views on black identity and black citizenship offered different prisms for interpreting the remembrances of former slaves.” Some ex-slaves were scared to tell the full truth in these interviews, some thought they would receive some benefits if they did not tell the full truth, and the interviewers would even change the story to make the government not sound so bad. 30 In this blog post, I want to investigate that idea more based on two narratives one by Charlie Smith and the other by Fountain Hughes. 

Charlie Smith and Fountain Hughes seemed to have similar lives. They were both interviewed in their late 100’s and they both went into slavery when they were in their early teens. In Charlie Smith’s interview, there seems to be nothing wrong with his life. He was bought by a man who raised him as one of his own children. Later in life he worked as a mason, then a state officer and helped hunt the man who killed President Garfield. Then he moved to Florida and lived out the rest of his days there. Fountain Hughes went into slavery at the same time as Charlie but stayed with his family. Although he does not go much into his childhood, when he does talk about it he contradicts himself 31a little. He talks about how the masters treated them well and how he did not have shoes until he was twelve, then at the end of his explanation he says “Yes, many time I’ve stump my toes, and blood run out them. That didn’t make them buy me no shoes.”32

Another instance in Fountains interview he says that they were treated like cattle and as soon as he finishes his sentence it seems the interviewer, Hermond Norwood, changes the topic33. Later on in the interview Hughes then talks about the bidding34 process. In his explanation of the bidding process he says “But if you was bad and mean and they didn’t want to beat you and knock you around, they’d sell you”. Right after he’s done explaining how the bidding works Norwood asks him if he was ever sold and Hughes seems to hesitate but said no that he was never sold because he was too young to sell. 35

Throughout the interview it seems that Hughes wants to talk about what happened in his life as a slave but is heisting to say something or when he starts to the Norwood asks him another question. In Charlie Smith’s interview he never has these moments; however, he only says the same things in his interview. Smith brings up that his dad treated him like his own and that he helped him on the farm, then when his dad died he was free, later in life worked as a state officer, and lastly moved to Florida. Smith never hesitates or dive more into it like Hughes did.

As I mentioned, in the beginning, many slaves were scared to say something to the interviewers in fear of backlash. Many writers wanted to shape the way the stories were told. 36 That could be what is going on in these two cases; however, Charlie has a better way of hiding it. At the end of Hughes interview Norwood asks if he goes to church. Then Hughes says “Ill tell you why I don’t go to church” then stops. Norwood asks him: “You rather not have this on? Hm? You rather not tell me or you rather not have this on when you tell me?” and Hughes replays: “It don’t make any difference. I ain’t going to say nothing wrong. I ain’t going to [tape cuts out] If I, I, I, I say…” and it ends there.37 I’m not sure if he was referring to the church or his life in general, either way I feel that shows that Hughes could not say all that he wanted to.

I think using audio in blog posts really shows the reader what your talking about instead of having to explain everything. I know that in this argument it would be hard for me to explain the point Im making if the reader never listened to the audio and interpreted it for themselves. Either way it is hard to close this argument fully since we cant talk to Fountain Hughes or Charlie Smith themselves. Finding a different interview similar to Charlie Smith’s defiantly shed a bright light onto this topic for me.

Zora Neale Hurston and Creating Folk Music

Earlier in the semester, our class discussed the collection of folk music by Alan Lomax during the Great Depression. However, how folk music was created was a question that was neither answered nor explored.

While browsing the Library of Congress’ database, I encountered a song entitled, “Wake Up, Jacob,” composed by Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston explains that work camps were awoken to the singing of the camp’s crier. These compositions were original; however, it is likely that they incorporated music sung by one’s family or community.

Additional elements of the song were inspired by these songs’ purposes. “Wake Up, Jacob” incorporates the knocking of one’s hand against a hard surface. This knocking is meant to mirror the rapping of one’s hand against the lodgings where members of the work camp were sleeping.

In “Ballad for Americans,” an article produced by the website Radio Diaries32, the origins of this popular song are discussed. It was composed by a gay man and popularized by a black man but adopted by all Americans as an anthem of national unity. When considered alongside “Wake Up, Jacob,” a song that incorporated musical elements from slave communities, the origins of most folk music becomes irrelevant. Instead, the music’s use in uniting people under a common banner becomes that of central importance, as we can see by the songs sung in work camps across the country.

Additionally, we should consider folk music to be a part of a region’s history. In Digital Exhibit’s article, “The American Guide Series,” there is no mention of music sung by a state’s inhabitants.33 This is discouraging, as the songs a people sings speak volumes of their beliefs and values. Although one may visit a state and its monuments, one cannot fully understand a people without knowing of their music.

Folk music is not a narrow category of music. It is the incorporation of culture and new surroundings and unites all of those who listen it – folk music is the music of the people.

The WPA: Defining American Culture and Parting Thoughts

http://jessicadoeshistory.com/cnd/exhibits/show/jessicabfinal/jessicabfinal

Starting this class I was worried that I would be unable to keep up with the technical aspects. As a historian I knew that there is an ever growing world of digital humanities and I didn’t even realize that I was a consumer of digital history. I have found that as a budding archivist there is a great deal of knowledge packed away in digital archives.  34

 Through this class I gained confidence in my technical abilities and learned just how valuable and relevant digital humanities can be. Combing through the digital collections of the Library of Congress I learned a great deal about the New Deal. I knew that FDR pulled America out of the depths of the despair in the Great Depression, but I didn’t realize how the New Deal encompassed all types of occupations. 35.


I rooted my final exhibit around the way that the Works Progress Administration had an official mission as essentially a large scale employment agency. 37 However, in an unofficial capacity it set out to establish a national identity and define what it meant to be American. 38

I decided to look at the different ways that the WPA was documenting the American people or “the folk”. I really liked seeing the different ways that the WPA worked and how they made a difference to the American people and way of life. In my exhibit I highlighted the Federal Writer’s Project, Federal Theatre Project, Farm Security Administration, and Federal Music Project. I tried to show the diverse ways that the WPA defined what it meant to be American. Before this class I knew that the New Deal was an effort by FDR to put people back to work, but seeing the ways that people from all walks of life were included was fascinating. I knew nothing about the Federal One Project before this class. Learning how they recorded and documented American culture all over the country in so many different ways was important to support my argument. As a result, I feel like I have a better comprehension of the New Deal and the time period it encompassed. 

As a historian and prospective archivist I am much more comfortable with old paper than I am with new technology.  I found that through this class and my blog research I recognized digital humanities tools in the real world. I found the Knightlabs tools to be really helpful in expressing complex ideas with interesting and engaging ways.  In my exhibit I chose to incorporate the mapping, timeline and soundcite tools. I really liked how they were interactive and invited the viewer or reader into the material.  I personally encountered some of the Knightlabs tools in the “wild” so to speak. 39Because I had worked with the timeline previously I was able to better investigate the material in the article I found. 

The other Knightlabs tool that I really liked, even though it was buggy and difficult to work with was SoundCite. I discussed Sidney Robertson Cowell and the work she did in California recording the folk music of migrants. 40 I was able to match portraits with the recordings she made and it really brought the immigrants stories to life, using the story map also illustrated the North Carolina tour I chose really well. 

Overall, I learned that even if I don’t have plans to go into digital history it really behooves me to learn about how digital historians are using DH tools to bring history to the world in engaging and interesting ways. It also helps to have a working technical knowledge of these tools as they can carry over into other real world experiences.  I became much more confident in my technological skills and gained a wealth of knowledge about the New Deal.

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