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Library Product News |
May/June 2008 |
Footnote.com Adds to Its Civil War Collection by Launching the Interactive
1860 US
Census
Footnote.com
announced the addition of the 1860 US Census to their Civil War
Collection. This project was a joint effort with FamilySearch, who
provided the images to the 1860 Census. From those images, Footnote
created a index enabling visitors to simply type in a name and search the
millions of names contained in this collection.
As the largest online
collection of original Civil War documents, this new addition to
Footnote.com provides a snapshot of America before the bloodiest war in
its history. The 1860 US Census reveals many details about individuals at
that time. What was their occupation? Where were they born? What was their
marital status? Did they attend school? Could they read or write? Was your
ancestor insane, idiotic, or a convict? The 1860 US Census will let you
know.
“Is the 1860 US
Census already on the internet? Yes,” says Russ Wilding, CEO of
Footnote.com. “But what makes the census different on Footnote is that
these documents become interactive.”
Footnote.com has
developed tools that enable visitors not only to find someone in the
census, but also to enrich the records by adding photos, linking related
documents, and contributing insights to any name on the record. “Now
they’re not merely names on a document,” explains Russ Wilding. “They
become people as the contributions start to tell a story about that
person.”
This past March,
Footnote.com released a similar project using the same technology with an
interactive version of the Vietnam War Memorial. For each name on the
Wall, a visitor can view military service information, attached photos and
comments. The success of the project is overwhelming as priceless
contributions are added to the Wall. Footnote expects similar results with
the launch of the 1860 US Census.
At Footnote.com, it’s more than just looking at a historical document. History becomes a living subject on Footnote.com as documents from archives come together for the first time on the Internet. Visitors to Footnote.com can add their own contributions and upload their own shoeboxes of information. Letters, documents, and photos from the past create a view of history that few have seen before.
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