History on the Web

In the world of the internet, historical information is provided in several different ways. Historical websites range from large archives to more defined archives, and from “the historical fanzine”, as Daniel Cohen phrases it in his Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web, to coporate pages. The Valley of the Shadows, The History Channel, “Do History”, and The National Museum of American History all have websites which represent different ways of presenting historical information on the internet.
The Valley of the Shadows (http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/) represents an example of what Cohen calls “invented archives.” This means that these websites give information on one particular historical topic. They provide countless documents on that subject even if these documents do not have a common origin or goal. The Valley of the Shadows provides hundreds of primary documents regarding the life of two communities, one Northern community and one Southern, during the time of the Civil War. The site is divided into three main sections, ““The Eve of War,” “The War Years,” and “The Aftermath.” Each section provides links to timelines, diaries, newspaper articles, tax and church records, countless statistics, images, and maps. Although the site is easy to manage, any navigation questions are easily answered by the “Guide to the Valley” section. The Valley of Shadow also gives links to the footnotes to “In the Presence of Mine Enemies: War in the Heart of Two American Communities” which is a book written based on the Valley of the Shadow archives. Additionally student projects and other articles interpreting the documents are provided by the site. The Valley also provides educators with valuable information and teaching tools. This site is a wealth of information and as the creators of the site says the site is “more like a library than a book.”
Another type of historical website originates from the corporate world. These are websites that work in correlation to stores and companies. One example is the History Channel’s website (http://historychannel.com), which is an affiliate of a cable television channel. As Cohen discusses, websites such as this tend to avoid controversial subjects and do little real interpretation. Instead they tend to focus on subjects that are supported by other businesses such as military, technology, and entertainment. The emphasis on business and profit making can be observed through the use of advertisements, an online shopping center, and the links to television schedules on the History Channel’s website. However this site does provide interesting historical information including fun features like “This day in history” and interactive videos. These videos linked to great speeches, and information on U.S. history, Military and War history, and much more.
Do History compares more closely to The Valley of the Shadows yet is still unique in its own way. This website seeks to teach its audience how to conduct research regarding a particular person or event through piecing together information. They do this through the case study of Martha Ballard whom the book and film A Midwife’s Tale was based upon. Through Martha’s story they hope to inspire others to research the lives of ordinary people in history. The site offers interactive tools such as one that deciphers an old letter making the document readable when you pass over it with a “magic lens.” It also provides links to video clips and portions of a book written on the subject. Moreover it gives teaching tools for educators, and an “On your own section” with links to resources to help guide in researching your own topic.
Finally the National Museum of American History’s website (http://americanhistory.si.edu/) is an example of an online exhibit. It provides Information about exhibits and features, including pictures and information, and allows you to find a particular exhibit and information regarding it easily as they are all placed into sections based on their subject. An example of such a category is Government, Politics, and Reforms where you can find former president paraphernalia. The site also includes an “About the Museum” section and information about traveling exhibits, as well as tools for educators including opportunities to plan trips to the museum and classroom tools. It also provides links to podcasts about historical topics, and gives information about volunteering at the museum.
All four of these sites have their own style of presenting historical information and all do so in a relatively successful manner.