Online Timeline Tools

Online timeline tools or any of the data visualization tools for that matter, are never straight forward. After trying several of Dr. Evan's recomended timeline tools and nearly 6 hours straight of trying to enter my data, I came up with a goose egg (nothing). I couldn't even get the 1st time event logged using 4 of the suggested online timeline tools. So, I resorted to google and looked up "easy online timeline creators" and https://time.graphics/ came up. My timeline for the former Coton Plantation Starts in 600 AD and ends in 1863. Again, I coundn't even get the first entry going. Instead of typing in 600A.D., you had to use this cumbersome tool bar to slide to 600 AD. I never got there, maybe it takes 1000 years. Completely frustrated, I turned to Powerpoint, but couldnt figure out how to make the timeline continuous.

The Loudoun Freedom Center will definitely be outsourcing all timeline and data visualization for our website projects. My job will simply be to collect the research and provide direction on the look and feel of product designed. You have to know your lane and stay in it. Here are some online timeline tools sugessted by Dr Evans. Don't take my word for it. try them out for yourself, maybe you'll have more luck than me and I would love to get your feedback.

Timeline apps:

• Simile timeline a simile widget for Omeka
• xtimeline explore and create free timelines
• Beedocs has two timeline products, one free, one for $19.95
• timeglider.com is a web-based timeline application
• Neatline at UVA digital to interlink timelines
• Timetoast also allows you to create and share timelines on the web, as does Tiki-Toki
• Sutori can also be used to create a timeline, or story, on the web.
• Capzles put stories in a timeline form on the web. It could be used on a historical timeline, but most of the examples are more recent.
• Timegraphics

Loudoun County Slave Ownership Timeline

From Loudoun County's formation in 1757 until 1860 (the last census taken, before emancipation) Loudoun's enslaved population grew from 16 percent of the population to more than 28 percent of the population. Here's a quick chronological look at Loudoun's enslaved population by the numbers according to Loudoun's census records.  My project will share the primary source documents that records the enslaved community at Belmont from 1800 the height of Loudoun's slave population to January 1, 1863, the adoption of the emancipation proclamation.

• 1757: At Loudoun’s formation there are about 550 slaves, 16 percent of a total population of about 3,500.

• 1764: At the close of the French and Indian War there are about 1,100 slaves, or 19 percent of 5,800 persons.

• 1773: On the eve of the American Revolution, the population is 11,000, among them 1,950 slaves—17 ½ percent of the population.

• 1790: The first U. S. census lists 18,962 persons; 4,213 slaves, or 22 percent of the total population.

• 1800: Loudoun registers its largest slave population, 6,078 slaves, or 28 percent of a total 20,523 persons.

• 1820: Loudoun registers its largest pre-Civil War population, 22,072. Slaves number 5,729, about 25 percent,

• 1830: 5,343 slaves, 23.8 percent of 22, 796 persons, a pre-war high.

• 1840: Free Negroes comprise 6.45 percent, of 1,318 persons of a population of 20,431. Slaves comprise 25.8 percent of 5,273 persons.

• 1850: Of a population of 22,679, 5,641 or 24.1 percent are slaves. 

• 1860: On the eve of war, 5,501 or 25 percent of 21,774 persons are slaves.

For more history of Loudoun's African American population visit http://www.loudounhistory.org/history/african-american-chronology/

NOVA Digital Artchives

This past weekend, June 7th-8th, was scheduled to be the last weekend workdays to complete the Journey To Freedom Heritage Trail of. Under the leadership of future Eagle Scout Mikaeel Martinez Jaka, we finish the trail on Saturday, as well as the volunteers completed laying gravel on the entrance path and the common area where the annual wreath laying ceremony takes place. The African American Burial Ground's is slowly but surely coming together and will soon be on par with other honored sacred burial grounds in Loudoun such as Union Cemetery, Balls Bluff and others.  I uploaded 5 pictures from this weekend's workday to the Northern Virginia History Archive and I'm awaiting approval from the administrator to publish them. I plan to include the photos in my online data collections under deeds.

The workday was cancelled on Sunday, because all the entire project was completed on Saturday. However on Sunday morning, I joined Sis Chi McIntyre- Johnson (Arapaho Hertage) for a traditional Native American Ground Blessing. 1000+ years before white men or enslaved Africans arrived in Loudoun, Native Americans inhabited the sister plantations of Belmont and Coton. It is important to the Loudoun Freedom Center that the entire story of Belmont Plantation is reclaimed, celebrated and told. #AllHistoryMatters

HOW TO GET MY PRIMARY SOURCE DATA COLLECTION ONLINE

This Digital History 218 online class is more difficult than I anticipated and the final project to get the Primary Source Documents online for the enslaved at Belmont is more challenging than I thought. Although I have the 5 documents that I would like to display digitized and ready to go. There is so much to consider in making a searchable database. How do I want the information displayed? The ease of searching and what data visualization tools to use are my main concerns right now. If you have the most amazing history (which we do), but you fail to display it in a manner that is easy to find and formatted in a way that invites others to continue reading. You will simply loose the reader and be a one hit wonder, where reader hit your site once and never return.

This week, I plan to test out Google Fusion Tables, It seems to be the simplest way to turn my data into easy to read charts and maps, which will help bring to life the the five focus areas of our online data collection for the enslaved at Belmont. 

1. Wills
2. Deeds
3. Judgements
4. Bill of Sales 
5. Inventory Lists 

For more information on data visualiztion tool, check out this list compiled by Sharon Machlis, Chart and image gallery: 30+ free tools for data visualization and analysis.

Back To The Future: An Unforgetable Digital Experience.

One of the best museum experiences that I've had recently, was at the National Museum of African American History & Culture, viewing the Greensboro Woolworth's Lunch Counter Exhibit. This lunch counter was the sit of many sit in's lead by college students, during the 1960's civil rights movement era. Most famously seen in photographs with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Woolworth stores had a segregation policy of not serving blacks. All across the deep south, Woolworth counters (just like the Mongomery buses) became the target of mass resistance. African Americans would come in to Woolworth store and occupy the lunch counters, refusing to leave until the were served.

Growing up in Atlanta in the 70's, Woolworth's store were integrated and served everyone. My sister and I often would by ice cream from the in-store cafe at the neighborhood Woolwoth's store. However, when I looked at the images from the civil rights days and watched the video of police dragging students out of there seats, beating and arresting them for trying to be served at the same counter where whites were eating, it's horrifying and I certainly believe it, but I grew up benefiting from the change of that struggle.
 
So naturally I was over the moon, when I visited the Greensboro Woolworth's Lunch Counter Exhibit at the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Not only did NMAAHC have a piece of the original counter and sit in stools, they played actual live footage at the time, from the encounters with students and police during the sit-ins. I was overcome with emotions being that close to history. I never expected to experience a sit-in in my lifetime, but digital experience, paired with the material culture gave me and my kids an unforgettable experience that I would recommend to the world.

Learn more about the National Museum of African American History & Culture  Greensboro Woolworth's Lunch Counter Exhibit http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/greensboro-lunch-counter.

Forgotten No More: Digitizing America's Undocumented Heroes!

The Enslaved at Belmont: Primary Source Collections Online

Purpose: The purpose of my project is to digitize and make available to the public, the primary

source documents used to account for the “little known” enslaved community of the former

Belmont Plantation, owned by Ludwell Lee of in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Focus: The focus is on primary source documents located at Loudoun County Court House

Records & Deeds Collection.

·             Wills – Located

·             Deeds – Located

·             Judgments – Located

·             Tax Records – TBL

·             Census Records – Located

·             Bill of Sale (Slaves) – Located

·             Inventory List – Located

Materials & Resources Used: Scanner, Tablet, Smartphone, Exel Spreadsheet, iMac desktop

Online Databases: Census records at local library

Implications: This is the first time the Loudoun Freedom Center have published research

data for public viewing. The database will provide research examples for future historians,

genealogist and educators to come.  

 

The World At My Finger Tips: Digital Material

Digital Material is a 21st century researcher or historian best friend. But having digital material readily available at your finger tip isn't magic, it requires work. Some digitization projects are more difficult than others but its all manual up loading. Is digitization necessary? Yes for several reasons:
1.  Preservation - you can preserve your material in any format longer when digitized.
2. Accessibility - Sharing and duplication of the material is made easier.

Want to get started saving your important history today, here are a simple list of the 5 hardware tools you'll need to start digitizing your material.

• PC (mac or windows)
• Tablet
• Smartphone
• Digital Camera
• Scanner

All of the hardware tools come fully equipped with imaging software or an app, depending on the device you choose. Here are a few suggestions of popular editing software that you can use to enhance your newly digitized materials.

• Image Editor - Adobe Photoshop
• Audio and Video Editor - imovie

Reference Material - Need a boost to help you get going? Here's a great website that will help you create and produce digital content across multiple platforms. Click here and start your digitization journey now. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1386/jmpr.3.3.155?journalCode=rjmp20#preview

My Project: is to digitize and make available the primary source document from the former Belmont Plantation. Here are some example of primary source documents that I have digitized from the Belmont Plantation.

Belmont Slave Cemetery Field Markers

Ludwell Lee Slave List