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Birdie MacLennan, University of Vermont

Chronicling America / Chronicling Vermont: Historic Newspapers @ the Library of Congress . Erenst Anip , University of Vermont. Chris Kirby, Ilsley Public Library. Tom McMurdo, Vermont State Library. Birdie MacLennan, University of Vermont. Vermont Library Conference

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Birdie MacLennan, University of Vermont

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  1. Chronicling America / Chronicling Vermont: Historic Newspapers @ the Library of Congress Erenst Anip, University of Vermont Chris Kirby, Ilsley Public Library Tom McMurdo, Vermont State Library Birdie MacLennan, University of Vermont Vermont Library Conference Saint Michael’s College Colchester, VTMay 21, 2013

  2. VTDNP: Background State Projects Part of National Digital Newspaper Program Began in 2005; 2-year cycles Target: ~100,000 pages of historic newspapers (1836-1922) for LC’s Chronicling America http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ 32 states funded; 6 million + pages available! VTDNP Phase 1 (2010-2012)  ~130,000 pages added VTDNP Phase 2 (2012-2014)  underway!

  3. Chronicling America / Chronicling Vermont: Historic Newspapers @ the Library of Congress Today’s program Vermont Digital Newspaper Project collaborators offer an overview of historic Vermont newspapers on Chronicling America. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov Coverage: historical themes in Vermont newspapers of the 19th and early 20th centuries—alongside with other states' newspapers covering similar themes or topics.

  4. Chronicling America / Chronicling Vermont: The Spanish Influenza in Addison County A survey of the Middlebury Register reveals much about the experience of the Middlebury and neighboring towns during this pandemic. By some estimates, the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 is to have killed 50 million worldwide and some 675,000 in the United States. When the Spanish Influenza first struck Middlebury, Vermont in September 1918 and the population of Middlebury was 2,914. There were between 250 and 300 cases of the flu by October 1918 and there were at least 14 deaths due to the flu by November 8 (Long 12, 35). Chris KirbyIlsley Public Library

  5. Flu News Before the Spanish Influenza: January 25, 1918, Image 6 January 04, 1918, image 6 (Orwell)

  6. Flu News Before the Spanish Influenza February 15, 1918, Image 7 February 08, 1918,Image 5

  7. Before the Spanish Influenza: Language of the Flu February 15, 1918 March 01, 1918, Image 8 February 15, 1918, Image 7

  8. Before the Spanish Influenza: Language of the Flu February 15, 1918, Image 8 March 22, 1918, Image 2

  9. Before the Spanish Influenza: Remedies for the Flu February 22, 1918, Image 7 March 08, 1918, Image 2 January 11, 1918

  10. Spanish Influenza strikes Middlebury September 27, 1918 October 4, 1918

  11. Responses to Spanish Influenza: Middlebury College October 4, 1918,Image 1 September 27, 1918,Image 1

  12. Responses to Spanish Influenza in Middlebury October 4, 1918, Image 1 October 4, 1918, Image 1

  13. Public Gatherings Banned October 11, 1918, Image 4 October 25, 1918, Image 8

  14. Dr. Stanton S. Eddy Takes Charge October 11, 1918, Image 1

  15. Dr. Eddy Takes Charge: Pharmacists Respond October 18, 1918, Image 1

  16. Spanish Influenza abates? October 11, 1918, Image 1 October 18, 1918, Image 1

  17. Spanish Influenza abates? November 01, 1918, Image 1 October 25, 1918, Image 1

  18. Spanish Influenza: Changing Language November 01, 1918, Image 7 March 08, 1918, Image 2

  19. Spanish Influenza Unabated in Neighboring Towns January 03, 1919, Image 4 January 03, 1919, Image 1 December 20, 1918, Image 1

  20. Influenza strikes at Home January 17, 1919, Image 1 December 20, 1918, Image 1

  21. Family Tragedies January 17, 1919, Image 4 January 24, 1919, Image 1

  22. Chronicling America / Chronicling Vermont: The Spanish Influenza in Addison County Middlebury Register reporting on the Spanish Influenza: A Compelling Vermont Story! Chris KirbyIlsley Public Library

  23. John Brown and the Raid on Harper’s Ferry Differing Perspectives in Chronicling America Tom McMurdo, VTLIB

  24. Chronicling America is a powerful research tool. The breadth of time covered, nearly a century—1836-1922—gives researchers ongoing coverage of long running events and themes. Just as important are the growing number of states and publications in Chronicling America that allow researchers to look at events from multiple perspectives.

  25. John Brown is a figure that is still likely to elicit a variety of opinions, depending on whom and where you ask. Was he a terrorist? Or was he the first hero of the Civil War?

  26. John Brown’s Ill-fated raid on Harper’s Ferry, VA took place on October 16-18, 1859. Brown and 20 others captured the armory with the intention to arm nearby slaves and begin an insurgency that would end slavery in the south. Brown and his men, including a freed slave, a fugitive slave, and three of his sons, were cornered in the armory by militia and US Marines. Brown was soon defeated. Among the dead were two of Brown’s sons. John Brown was hanged in Virginia on December 2, 1859. His body was sent to his family farm in upstate NY.

  27. Vermont newspapers began reporting on the raid by the end of the week: Note death notice of John Calhoun, former surveyor general of KS. Pro-slavery, he endorsed a KS state constitution that favored slavery and slaveholders. A prominent rumor is reported here: “a body of 250 to 800 abolitionists and negroes had taken possession of the US arsenal at Harper’s Ferry.” It is dispelled later in the article. Burlington Free Press, Oct. 21, 1859

  28. More Vermont coverage: Brattleboro’s Vermont Phoenix clears up rumors and reports that John Brown is still alive and in custody on October 22. Vermont Phoenix, Oct. 22, 1859

  29. Meanwhile in Virginia there is a lot more detail right away: The Daily Dispatch from Richmond, VA filled its columns with details about what was happening at Harper’s Ferry. Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Oct. 20, 1859

  30. The Richmond, VA Daily Dispatch used a different tone from VT’s newspapers on Harper’s Ferry: Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA), Oct. 20, 1859 “The outrage which has just been enacted at Harper’s Ferry, the South will feel most deeply. Is it possible—her citizens will ask—is it possible that the animosity of the North against us has reached such a degree of all-consuming hate as to drive any of her citizens upon such efforts, and make them blind, not only to its vile wickedness, but to its utter folly?”

  31. History repeats itself: The Daily Dispatch and the Vermont Watchman & State Journal (Montpelier) both pointed out that President Buchanan’s administration had received an anonymous warning in August that the raid would take place under the command of John Brown. Vermont Watchman and State Journal, Oct. 28, 1859

  32. History repeats itself: The warning letter, though anonymous at the time, later proved to be written by David J. Gue of Iowa. The existence of this letter has been dropped from the popular narrative of John Brown and Harper’s Ferry. Vermont Watchman and State Journal, Oct. 28, 1859

  33. Instant politicization of Harper’s Ferry: Predictably, this newspaper editor writing in the Edgefield Advertiser (South Carolina) called it a “hair (sic)-brained demonstration by a pack of fanatics and poor deluded slaves.” he goes on to discuss how this will cause the North to pull back from Republicanism and to retreat from anti-slavery stances. Yes, the opposite happened. Edgefield Advertiser, Oct. 26, 1859

  34. Always other interesting items on the page: On the same page as the Harper’s Ferry Raid articles is this chess puzzle. This is the earliest one I have seen in my career working with newspapers. Leisure and games in the 19th century is a growing area of historical research. Edgefield Advertiser, Oct. 26, 1859

  35. Instant politicization of Harper’s Ferry: The editor of the Ebensburg, Pa Alleghenian had a much different take on Harper’s Ferry: the rapid end of slavery in Virginia. Of course slavery would be ended in six years, but not in the manner this writer believed. He argues that natural progress will overwhelm the Old Dominion and end slavery there. The Alleghenian, Dec. 8, 1859

  36. The Power of Chronicling America: There are many more newspapers from this era available on Chronicling America. I have just scratched the surface. I do hope these examples give you a notion of how great it is to be able to read contemporary opinions and reports of events from many different newspapers in many different locales.

  37. Chronicling America / Chronicling Vermont: Historic Newspapers @ the Library of Congress Who was Snowflake Bentley (in his time)? Wilson Alwyn Bentley [1865-1931] in Chronicling America Birdie MacLennan VTDNP Project Director University of Vermont

  38. Basic search … http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov Chronicling America returns page images with highlighted keywords

  39. Feature-length article on Wilson Alwyn Bentley [1865-1931] in New-York tribune. (New York [N.Y.]), 26 Sept. 1920, p. 5, image 65.

  40.  News of Mr. Bentley’s lecture to the Green Mt. Club and …. Serendipitous discovery [adjacent article] of Pablo Casals’ recital during snowstorm  Middlebury register.(Middlebury, Vt.), 13 Jan.1922, p. 1.

  41. Note: Variant spelling [snow flake; two words] in search box yields different result: Bentley lecture & slide show @ St. Paul’s Church, Burlington  Burlington weekly free press. (Burlington, Vt.), February 21, 1918, Page 9

  42. Phrase search for “Wilson A. Bentley” using the Sort menu to display results. Technique: “The 3,500 snow crystals that I have photographed would hardly make a good snowball … I permit nothing to interfere with my work when good crystals are falling.”  The Sun. (New York [N.Y.]), 18 Jan. 1920. section 4, p.3.

  43. Press coverage of Bentley publications in National Geographic, Harper’s and Doubleday/Kann. The St. Louis Republic. (St. Louis, Mo.), 30 Nov. 1901, p.6. Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 11 Jan. 1904, p.12. Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 11 May 1907, p. 6.

  44. Chronicling America / Chronicling Vermont: Historic Newspapers @ the Library of Congress Who was Snowflake Bentley (in his time)? • Chron America sightings from 1901 to 1920 reveal … • Wilson Alwyn Bentley … dapper photo! • Native of Jericho, Vermont • Farmer, Self-educated, Snowflake Guru • Pioneering Scientist, Researcher, Photographer • Photomicrography techniques for capturing images of snow crystals • Author, Illustrator, Lecturer • Contemporary to Pablo Casals • References to books & articles for more info. Thanks for watching! Explore more - http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

  45. Chronicling America / Chronicling Vermont: Historic Newspapers @ the Library of Congress Chronicling America -http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ National Digital Newspaper Program - http://www.loc.gov/ndnp/ Vermont Digital Newspaper Project - http://library.uvm.edu/vtnp/ VTDNP Blog - http://vtdnp.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/VTDNP

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