In an evolving and increasingly digitized media landscape, cadets are leading through innovation with the United States Military Academy’s Digital History Center.
As a discipline, digital history involves leveraging technology to conduct previously impractical research and to communicate historical analysis without the limitations imposed by traditional media. At the 25th Annual West Point Projects Day Research Symposium, three cadets working with the center presented research leveraging this intersection of technology and history.
CDT Matthew Clifford’s project involved mapping actions at the Battle of Gettysburg’s “Wheatfield” – a complex but understudied portion of the battlefield. Utilizing ArcGIS global mapping software, CDT Clifford combined satellite data with historical maps and sketches – an evolution over initial iterations, which utilized analog tools, to include paper maps and overlays. The transition to digital tools increases the depth of exploration and communicative potential of the project – reflecting a general trend in the Army towards integrating GIS technology into historical and contemporary battlespace analysis. Commenting on a seeming decline in print resources and media consumption, CDT Clifford identified a challenge and an opportunity; “By using these capabilities, we’re able to offer a more digestible product - one more people can experience.” You can access this project at https://arcg.is/1v4jyf0.
CDT Matthew Knutson similarly leveraged ArcGIS, compiling an analysis of primary sources in a comprehensive digital narrative of the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn. This approach allowed for the recreation of a historical fortification in a virtual environment, enabling analysis of the composition of defenses and key points throughout the battle. Speaking to the importance of this work, CDT Knutson described the battle as “the largest of the entire American War for Independence… [yet] often overlooked because of the American defeat.” He hopes that the interactive digital product will breathe new life into, “preserving the history of early America and making it easily accessible to all.” You can access this project at https://arcg.is/1CmXaD0.
Heading North along the Hudson, CDT Harper Libbert’s work touches on memorialization efforts surrounding the Vietnam War at West Point through the 1980 stone memorial emplaced at Lusk reservoir. CDT Libbert’s use of drone footage and a multimedia timeline, including the memorial’s intermediary stages, seeks to communicate experiential meaning in the viewer, allowing them to, “visualize the historical significance and development of an event in the same capacity as the researcher.” Reflecting on how she was personally impacted by the project, CDT Libbert described how she had become, “more perceptive and attuned to nuance… there is a lot to be learned from looking at all of the unassuming things in between,” – a mode of understanding that digital history projects are uniquely positioned to evoke. You can access this project at https://arcg.is/0fCmzO.
As leaders look to history to learn from our past, the Digital History Center provides extraordinary access to engaging storytelling and creative analysis right at your fingertips.
These projects are part of West Point's 25th annual Projects Day Research Symposium that showcases more than 450 cadet-led research projects. Learn more about the Department of History's Digital History Center and its resources at https://bit.ly/WP_DigHist and check out more project features at https://www.westpoint.edu/werx.
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