Category: Blog #5

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Blog #5

Blog #5

     Having the opportunity to use StoryMapJs was a unique one that has never been presented to me in any other class. I had done much of the visualization before in high school with tools similar to Voyant, and I had made timelines for almost all of my history classes, but being able to incorporate a whole new dimension, location, into my analysis is really something quite unique.

     While analyzing the space that Anna Elizabeth Rauch and her fellow missionaries covered on a map, I was able to see just how much distance they covered, and I realized the physical toll that this took on them. In the memoir, Anna passed away from rheumatic fever. From looking at this map, I can safely assume that the long travel across all of Jamaica was moderately harmful to her immune system, thus contributing to her demise. I think this is what Bodenhamer means when he says “All spaces contain embedded stories based on what has happened there (Bodenhamer 16). Now that I could see the full space that they covered, I was further able to understand the story.

     Relative to this time period, the concept of space and stance is extremely significant. In 1752, moving transnationally and even transcontinentally was a very strong commitment. Nowadays, it can take hours and sometimes even days to move that distance. In that time period, it took weeks, sometimes even months, to cover that span.

     Spatial Humanities is definitely more relevant to this time period because of the introduction of Geographic Information Systems, or GIS. Bodenhamer is an advocate of this practice, and he states that GIS is a “seductive technology” and that its images “appeal to us in ways more subtle and powerful than words can” (Bodenhamer 17). I feel that GIS is one of the most efficient ways to analyze space for the field of humanities.

     Anna Elizabeth Rauch’s journey did cover half the distance of Jamaica, but once she got to Mesopotamia (in Westmoreland), she mainly went from there to New Carmel and back, thus not providing for much GIS analysis. Also, there were not many maps available that had specific detail about where the plantations exactly were. Bodenhamer believes that GIS “favors precise data that can be managed and parsed within a highly structured tabular database”(Bodenhamer 23). GIS may not have been the best for this memoir, but it should be ideal for most.

     Since the missionaries didn’t move around much once they arrived at the sugarcane plantation, I decided to depict different Moravian Stations in Jamaica for most of my slides. I told the story of Anna, and then mapped a new location that a station was created upon. As Anna and her fellow missionaries completed more work in Mesopotamia, I would show the precise location of other stations, thus conveying the spread of the Moravians. I believe that this was the best way of representing the information in that it could properly give a scope to how large the Moravian movement was in Jamaica, and what overall effect they had on the slave populations there.

Find the link for my StoryMapJs here: https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/cb5a3878723de184037f5257d0519d56/anna-elizabeth-rauch/index.html

 

[iframe src=”https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/cb5a3878723de184037f5257d0519d56/anna-elizabeth-rauch/index.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”100%” height=”800″][/iframe]

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Blog #5

Blog #5

Seeing the the content of John Willey’s memoir on a map really puts his life in perspective.  Reading names of places is one thing but seeing how far and often he actually traveled puts it all into perspective.  It is amazing to think about the distance this man covered, especially when there were no cars at the time. It shows the dedication that John Willey had to the congregation and serving people.  The first part of John Willey’s life was spent in England, which was a more established place compared to Northern Ireland at the time. Just reading the memoir I did not realize that part of his life was actually spent in England and he had to cross the British Isles to get to northern Ireland.  I think it is fascinating to be able to see his travels on an actual map and really shows how complex his life is just like many people today. In the Bodenhamer reading, he writes, “We acknowledge hoe past, present, and future conceptions of the world compete simultaneously within real and imagined spaces.  We see space as a platform for multiplicity, a realm where all perspectives are particular and dependent upon experience unique to an individual, a community, or a period of time” (14). When thinking of Northern Ireland I think of a gorgeous countryside that would be nice to visit at some point. For John Willey and the Moravians, they saw this as his home and a place where he felt responsible for helping the people there.  To people that lived there a little after John Willey, it was a terrible place stricken by the potato famine and many people left. This is just an example of how complex a space can be depending on the time and perspective one has on it. Bodenhamer also talks about how space is usually ruled by power and references terms like “Mother nature” suggesting that humans have power over the land and how the feminine title gives off the impression that it is open to be explored and exploited.  Thinking about this while looking at the memoir, it makes me think that people of the congregation really looked at Northern Ireland as a place that needed help which is why people like John Willey were sent there. I also think that the expansion of GIS in the humanities would be amazing. Bodenhamer talks about the possibility of being able to walk through a virtual ancient Rome, and applying this to other places could really open new doors for the humanities.

[iframe src=”https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/0cdbfbbe417c2c289cc522c619b8daa9/john-willey-london/index.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”100%” height=”800″][/iframe]

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Blog #5

Blog #5

I have a greater understanding of Samuel Tippet’s memoir through the process of mapping it. I am sure that my group members would agree. In general, I believe that learning is best done with visual aids. Samuel Tippet’s memoir was challenging to understand and get a grasp on. This class has taught me how to properly analyze a memoir. Prior to taking this class, I would’ve only scratched the surface on Tippet’s memoir. I would’ve read it a few times and took notes on key aspects. By tagging, going through the transcription process, creating a timeline and finally mapping it, I feel like I really understand this memoir thoroughly.

As Bodenhamer says, “we are inherently spatial beings: we live in a physical world and routinely use spatial concepts of distance to navigate our way through it” (14). I found this to be very true as I went through the process of mapping Samuel Tippet’s memoir. Samuel Tippet references places in his memoir which I nor my group members were familiar with. It is helpful to see these locations on a map to visualize and make sense of what he is speaking of. I have been to London twice, so through looking at a map and using London as a reference point, I am able to make sense of where different counties he mentions, such as Bristoll, are. Having the map makes these location names come alive. “The complex and culturally relativistic view of space, the the product of the last several decades, has reinvigorated geography as a discipline,” (Bodenhamer, 14).  I wouldn’t have understood London’s relation to these locations had I not investigated with a map.

I have also found that creating our timelines prior to the maps was extremely useful. Organizing all of Tippet’s information in a visual and chronological way was helpful to develop an understanding.  I referenced our timeline frequently through the process of creating my map. “We are drawn to issues of meaning, and space offers a way to understand fundamentally how we order out world,” (Bodenhamer, 14). I used some images from the timeline in addition to ones from google images. The timeline allowed me to see Tippet’s life in the context of a story. Through breaking down and analyzing Tippet’s memoir continuously and in different manners, I feel as though I have finally fully grasped it. Rather than reading and understanding what Tippet is saying at a surface level, I have now done the background research to understand what he is referencing.

 

https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/5eb8581f880599c343b42c1fd04b4e2c/map/index.html

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Blog #5 Uncategorized

Visualization

In today’s society space is everywhere. Bodenhamer says, “Here, contemporary notions of space are myriad; what once was a reference primarily to geographical space, with its longstanding categories of landscape and place, is now modified by class, capital, gender, and race, among other concepts, as an intellectual framework for understanding power and society in times near and distant”(14). The idea of space is no longer solely related to an actual physical space between two objects or locations, instead, it is also used as any difference between objects. Look at today’s political climate in America, we have mostly separate the country into two categories Republican or Democrat and we even assign states to be Republican or Democratic. Bodenhamer explains that when looking at boarders, “they are not passive settings but the medium for the development of culture” (16). This is a more generic view of space within America but these histories or categories that are seen as differences can vary from person to person or even country to country.

When viewing a map you are usually looking at locations, but there is always subconscious history attached to each location. For example, when you look at a globe and you see the United States, you might think of the revolutionary war or you might even think of American Football. I am from New Jersey so when I see New Jersey on a map, I instantly think of the summers I have spent on the beach with my friends and family. These personal experiences in New Jersey help me create a separation between New Jersey and other states. Bodenhamer explains, “We are drawn to issues of meaning, and space offers a way to understand fundamentally how we order our world” (14). So if a map is a way of demonstrating space between locations it is also a way of creating space between history and experiences and this combination allows someone to “understand fundamentally how we order our world.” (14)

I personally found it only partially helpful to map my memoir. I believe that this is the outcome of having a memoir that focused only on one outcome. Samuel Tippett’s ultimate goal is to be forgiven of his sins in the eyes of the lord. This singular goal makes for very similar experiences and levels of importance between locations like Bitton, Bristol, Kingswood, etc. Every place that Tippett visits is related towards his overarching goal of dedicating his life to Jesus. I did however find it very helpful to map out Tippet’s relationships. Tippet is constantly mentioning individuals that impacted his religious path and separating them by locations makes it easier to keep track of who he met where.

[iframe src=”https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/1a984065ab5cc7db4976aee5782c7b63/samuel-tippett/index.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”100%” height=”800″]