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history
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2020-09-18
How a Spanish flu news in 1918 may help to reflect on Covid-19 (with historical text)
History is a mirror decorated with stories. Learning about historical matierals is interesting and enlightening. An article about Spanish flu from the Boston Daily Globe on September 30th, 1918, titled Number of grippe deaths fall off and discussions with the Media History class have inspired me in understanding health policies, social changes, and more from diverse perspectives during the Covid times. -
2020-09-08
A Bibliography of Historian's Responses to Covid-19
The American Historical Association has created a bibliography of historians' responses to Covid-19 for later use by the public and academics. -
2020-08-27
Lawson Miller Internship Portfolio
I decided to embark on this internship despite no previous experience in public history, and it has afforded me the opportunity to learn many things about the practice of public history and historical collection more broadly. Having worked on the internship in tandem with a fellowship role on the same project had challenged and pushed me in ways I hadn’t imagined. Having begun the project as a volunteer, a fellow, and then an intern placed me at the apex of an entirely new experience, and is part of my drive to challenge myself, to learn, to be part of something larger than myself, and to grow. In my first semester of graduate school, I became deeply immersed and personally invested in a project that had become bigger than I may have initially anticipated. This project has taught me, among other things: leadership, patience, collaboration, how to be adapt quickly, as well as the concept of shared authority. The skills and growth I have received over this journey has been invaluable. In addition to learning important skills and practices relating to history, the internship has given me practical experience in being a leader among my peers, communicating effectively through press releases and social media, and developing effective standardized practices. These skills will be invaluable in whatever I pursue, as well as in my life more broadly. Getting lost in the work of the internship regarding the historical curation of the pandemic, has ironically distracted me from the pandemic itself to an extent, in my personal life. I have paused many times during the course of this internship to reflect on the significance of our work and the significance of this moment in history. The friends and professional relationships I have created through this experience will follow me throughout my life and academic career. -
2020-04
Old Paranoia
The modern day photo, the one quivocating social distancing to Communism, I first stumbled upon on social media. The photo instantly made me think how paranoia has always played a part in the American attitude towards the government; Americans have always been quick to assume that the government isn't being straightforward with them and that there's a conspiracy afoot. That conclusion leads me to the second photo, taken in August of 1959 in Little Rock, Arkanasas, was the response to school integration that allowed African-Americans to go to formerly White-Only schools. As you can see, it's a mirror image of Americans forming conspiracy theories or general paranoia that is usually scapegoated onto Communism. -
2020-08-23
Alex Hinely Internship Portfolio
As a second-year graduate student in the History MA program at Arizona State University, I found myself enrolling in the HST 580: Professional Experience course after viewing an online announcement outlining the unique experience of a remote internship. With prior experience as a digital archivist with the National Archives and Records Administration, the Smithsonian Institute, and the California Digital Newspaper Collection, in addition to years spent as an undergraduate research assistant at the UCLA Center for Korean Studies digitizing reels of microfilm, I initially believed this internship to be hours of busywork without much substance. I was quickly proven wrong, however. Unlike the previous archives mentioned, A Journal of the Plague Year is a living and breathing archive, recording stories as they occur. This constant fluctuation resulting from live submissions created a dynamic, and sometimes turbulent, workspace that required interns to possess flexibility, problem-solving, and innovation skills. Far from my initial understanding of the internship, the archive provided curatorial interns with a wide-ranging set of skills applicable in any professional environment. Using Omeka-S, Otter.ai, and Slack, interns learned to enhance accessibility to historical documents by curating and transcribing crowdsourced items into a searchable resource. Curatorial interns carefully handled thousands of photographs, articles, and recordings, while assisting with branding, legal compliance, and writing for diverse platforms. Through archival collaborations with international universities and institutions, interns were able to advance their communication skills to convey necessary, time-sensitive, and fluctuating information concerning the live curation of items. This interactive and innovative internship challenged my understanding of public history and pushed me to appreciate the archival process in a new light. As calls for submissions urged individuals to share their everyday experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, I recognized the importance of documenting daily happenings and confronting historical silences. As a result, A Journal of the Plague Year reignited my determination to support rural K-12 students and ensure that their stories are documented alongside their urban and suburban counterparts. While I have no immediate plans to become a public historian, I have learned an innumerable amount of skills that will surely advance my career in the educational sector. -
2020-05-02
Merchandise in Quarantine
In Cambridge, MA, we depend on small businesses, whether they’re corner stores, beauty parlors, restaurants, or specialized outlets. This picture is the lattermost, a music store called Cheapo Records, which I visited often before quarantine. Places like this are extremely important for both conserving history and discovering new music (without algorithms). COVID-19 has only exacerbated the danger Cheapo and others are facing due to rising rents. This picture I took before they reopened spoke to me because it shows how the hiatus wasn’t expected to be this long; the merchandise is left outside, behind an iron curtain, in uncertain indefinance. -
2020
When You Find Your Meme in Your Kid's History book in 2040
We are living through a historical period with COVID-19, there is no doubt about that. This meme is about a dad who was probably a teenager during quarantine helping his child with homework in the year 2040. He discovers a meme he posted in 2020 has made its way into the history book! -
2020-08-07
One Journalist Is Chronicling San Quentin’s Huge COVID-19 Outbreak—While Locked Inside
One inmate at San Quentin Prison in California has been keeping his press contacts apprised of the situation during the pandemic via letters, many written on a typewriter. Kevin Sawyer, serving a sentence of 48 years to life is also the prisons newspaper editor, though operations stopped in March when prisons in the state went on lockdown in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. He wrote 8,000 words during just the first seven weeks of the pandemic. His goal is to document what is happening inside the prison during the pandemic. -
03/24/2020
Chelsie Walker Oral History, 2020/03/24
In response to COVID-19, the Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science launched the mini-series, "Cultural Insights: Interviews in the Creative Sector," to highlight colleagues and professionals working in the same or similar field of museum professionals. -
03/24/2020
Amber Gowen Oral History Interview 2020/03/24
In response to COVID-19, the Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science launched the mini-series, "Cultural Insights: Interviews in the Creative Sector," to highlight colleagues and professionals working in the same or similar field of museum professionals. -
03/23/2020
James MacLeod Oral History, 2020/03/23
In response to COVID-19, the Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science launched the mini-series, "Cultural Insights: Interviews in the Creative Sector," to highlight colleagues and professionals working in the same or similar field of museum professionals. -
2020-07-29
Salem History Through the MHS Archive
This advertises a virtual event held by the Massachusetts Historical Society. This webinar discusses the history of collections about Salem, MA within the Massachusetts Historical Society. This webinar covers the history of Salem from its founding up until the present. -
2020-06-28
Cover of The Advocate magazine references the AIDS epidemic to draw attention to another lacking government response
This cover of The Advocate’s latest issue draws attention to the AIDS epidemic. Criticisms about the lacking government response are especially poignant for LGBTQ+ people who lives through the AIDS pandemic. -
2020-07-05
"...come all the way back around to the plague doctor posey mask"
A tweet by author Anne Thériault featuring a screenshot of a Facebook post extolling the benefits of putting herbs in the pocket many masks have in order to make the experience of wearing a mask more pleasant. The intended purpose of these pockets is as place to put an added filter to cloth masks should you need to enter a high risk area such as a hospital. The tweet itself points out how this is essentially identical to the practice of placing dried herbs and flowers (posies) in plague doctors masks during Bubonic Plague outbreaks- in that case to keep the scents which were thought to spread the disease at bay. -
2020-06-01
Passing time in Quarantine
Sharing my experience during quarantine lockdown -
2020-03-16
First week of lockdown
As a historian, the past three months have seemed more of an interesting project than reality, but I've not been sick. I know a few friends who were ill, and one mural friend who died, sadly, due to COVID19. I wonder what the future historians will say about this period in global history. I'm very glad it's not as deadly as Ebola, or as easy to contract as first believed. I took these photos on March 16, the day before things closed in TX. It was amazing to see so many things shut down so quickly, and my home state, Michigan, was really hard hit so I've been mostly concerned for family there. Now that it's the middle of June I'm less concerned and just trying to do one day at a time, although it has been nice to find toilet paper again. I even created a post for the historic site where I work discussing historic toilet paper, or lack thereof, to make history a bit more relevant. The post got quite a lot of attention. It's odd times but I feel a bit closer to the people we talk about since their fear of disease has become more understandable now. -
2020-06-17
Peasant Life
Old history books are full of random pictures and quotations of what life was like in whatever the period in question was. It seems as though the average life of a normal person during the pandemic has consisted of: avoiding coronavirus, baking bread, and most recently revolting against systemic oppression. Seems as though the cycle is repeating itself. -
2020-06-10
COVID-19 Inside Arkansas Prisons: The Past and Future
The covid pandemic has shown the world, especially the US, how suceptible certain populaations are to any communicable disease. The virus has hit hard in places where social distancing is at best difficult. Places like elder care facilities, meat packing plants, and prisons. In the final installment of her three part series, covering covid inside Arkansas State prisons, NPR reporter Anna Stitt, looks at the history and future of the Arkansas prison system. Much of her focus has been on the Cummins Unit. A prison opened in 1902 and named after one of the plantations who formerly owned the land. Upon opening and through present day the prison operates a farm that is worked by inmates for no pay. They were still farming cotton, with guards on horseback, holding rifles, in the 1990's. An image that looks like it could have been taken one hundred years ago. This prison has been part of numerous scandals and appears to be in the midst of one today. When the NAACP Legal Defense Fund sued to gain early release for the medically vulnerable the judge denied the request saying there wasn't sufficient proof that the Corrections Department was mishandling the pandemic. Inmates report being denied testing even once exposed to the virus. When inmates attourney's requested security footage the Department of Corrections filed a motion to block the request but the judge allowed the attorney's to see the footage. The treatment of inmates has resulted in their families and friends staging a protest outside the Arkansas Governor's Mansion on May 16th and a coalition of organizations delivering demands to the governor on June 1st. HST580, ASU -
2020-06-11
A Year for the History Books Comic
A single panel comic suggesting that so much has happened in the last few months there will need to be several volumes of history written on 2020 where the proceeding years would only need one each. -
2020-03-23
USS Constitution Museum Goes Virtual
USS Constitution Museum announcement that the Museum has "launched a robust outreach initiative where it is turning the Museum 'inside-out' and creating digital opportunities for visitor engagement." Part of the Museum's work to address social distancing during COVID19. -
05/08/2020
Brynda Oral History, 2020/05/08
The contributor of this item did not include verbal or written consent. We attempted to contact contributor (or interviewee if possible) to get consent, but got no response or had incomplete contact information. We can not allow this interview to be listened to without consent but felt the metadata is important. The recording and transcript are retained by the archive and not public. Should you wish to listen to audio file reach out to the archive and we will attempt to get consent. -
2020-04-01
How we project the role of memes in history of this plagued year
This meme illustrates how we perceive memes right now - as instruments of humor that unify us in a time of crisis. We use these memes to laugh at our own dire situation in a healthy manner. It allows us to escape the constant turmoil for a little while and acknowledge that we are all going through this together, and hope that we come out of this situation stronger and more united. -
2020-05-31
A Letter to 2021 Me
I want to share my personal experience and how I'm dealing with COVID-19 quarantine. -
2020-05-18
Shakespeare's Globe Faces Permanent Closure in London Without Emergency Funding
The coronavirus pandemic has already caused the shutdown of theaters in the West End and on Broadway. I have included this because there is a great fear of losing theatre companies and venues during the crisis. Funding is non-existent and actors, technicians and all others who rely on these theaters as resources for making a living will be left unemployed and searching for work in an even more saturated market. -
2020-03-16
Food Hoarding Then and Now Thoughts
A post in which a university student reflects on the historical precedents and potential of current events. The accompanying caption reads: "As a History student, I can’t help but think that we will look back at what is currently happening in the world and we will feel gravely disappointed in ourselves for the selfishness many seem to have during this pandemic. For those who know me, you know I love to study propaganda and food has always played an extremely important role in propaganda and I couldn’t help but think of these two posters while hearing about everything that is happening right now. The authors of @humansofny have compared COVID-19 to a world war, calling it this generation’s world war. This will be the defining conflict of our generation and we have the power to determine how we appear one hundred years from now. We can choose to hoard essentials that everyone needs, or we can try to make sure everyone gets enough. Please. Be responsible when you shop. Be selfless during times like this. We are only as strong as our weakest link and in times like these we must do everything to protect that weak link in our society. Be kind. Be patient. We can get through this together." -
2020-05-23
The Original Social Distancing
A humorous account of "social distancing" in a bygone era. Intended to be satire. -
2020-04-08
Amy Stanley: The Disaster Era
Blog post by Prof. Amy Stanley about individuals' ability during disasters to take action. -
2020-05-22
It is extremely weird to think...
It is extremely weird to think that we are living through history right now. I mean, yes, we always are, but this time it is different. This is one of those things that future generations will study in their history classes. Countless terms have been manipulated into our everyday speech and obsessively ingrained in our thoughts: Pandemic, Coronavirus, Quarantine, Social Distance… These titles which seem to be taking over news headlines and social media will end up only a chapter in history. The coronavirus won’t be the main focus of our lives anymore. Right now that sounds impossible, but in time, the obsession will expend itself. It will dissipate, and somehow, things will go back to normal. So, how will we keep history in check? How will we make sure all of our stories go unforgotten? Everyone misses life right now. COVID-19 has killed millions and damaged families and changed all of our lives. Information surrounding the pandemic is reported 24/7. There is never a minute of silence. Frankly, it really depresses me. Just waiting for good news, I focus so much on the most recent developments and news stories. All I really seek, though, is to skip forward to better times. I am a junior in high school. I just turned 17 last month, and I could never explain how exciting the prospect of going back to school is or to even think about attending college next fall! Yet, I’m so nervous that all those experiences are going to be somehow lesser. There is just so much to look forward to, and I’m really scared that I won’t get to fully experience any of it. That no one will. I’m preoccupied with this notion that time is fleeting. However short or long my life may be, it pains me to know that I’ll never be able to fully live it. It’s just not possible. I have to try my best, but life really is too short. That’s why you have to live every single day and make the most of all that comes your way. I take these months, and I’ve used them lazily and without passion. Sure, this time has provided me with college research opportunities and family time, but I want to be out there doing something. I don’t quite know what that means, but it’s more of a feeling rather than a set idea. And not being able to do anything...it sucks. It spawns feelings of purposelessness. But in truth, I only hope to somehow come out stronger and happier. Despite the tragedies that plague us, I’ve made it my mission to find the good in every single day. And I can only hope that all of us can uncover these moments together. To better times. XOXO. Sophie :) -
2020-03-30
Coming Out of Quarantine with All My Shopping
This humorous meme shows that many people are bored and are getting crazy with their shopping while quarantined. -
2020-04-30
Some Past Activities that Took Place Six Feet Apart
This is a meme that was posted to Instagram comparing our current recommendation of being six feet apart to some other "fun" activities we have done while being six feet apart. #Coronavirus, #groceryshopping,#fear, #warrior -
2020-05-13
Claiming Their Space: Black Student Activism at the University of Maryland
Graduate students curated this digital exhibit in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We originally intended to have a physical exhibition about black student activism in the 1960s that would be up for one to two semesters. Instead, the campus pivoted to remote learning and our exhibition did as well. We practiced digital museum curation and added two elements about the pandemic. Now visitors can read about how pandemics affects research process and archive accessibility. *Dr. Quint Gregory -
2020-05-19
Reid’s reflection on the pandemic 19 May 2020
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05/18/2020
Back to Normal? [DUPLICATE OF "No More Different, Please"]
Today felt like a dream come true. I got to go back into an actual lap pool and swim a workout for the first time in two-three months. This doesn’t mean that one kid got to swim. This means that the Rec Center opened which is a big step at least in my life for things going back to normal. This means that I can try to salvage all of the work I have done in this one sport. The coronavirus has definitely changed how I look at everything now. I feel just so thankful and excited to be walking into a pool deck when sometimes I would even be so annoyed to go to swim practice because I knew it would be so hard and tough. I know that from now on I will be so happy even when I go into a test set where you go until you break and can’t make the base. I will be so happy to even be able to go to school and have swim practice right after which is really weird considering that even in kindergarten I would go to school and have swim practice right after. #LSMS #NSD -
05/17/2020
No More Different, Please
I really want more than really anything right now to go back to my usual routine and especially go back to swim practice. I am really fed up with doing different cross training to try to make my swimming not suck. It feels like even though I have been swimming competitively for seven years like I am not a swimmer. I haven’t even been in the water or gone to a practice in almost two months. I really don’t like how even if I go outside and go to a store that is open everything is so different and I can’t help wondering if these changes are going to last. Today I woke up I think the latest I have ever woken up. The difference is that when I saw how late it was, I jumped out of bed and got straight to work. I finished my workout so early that I got to make doughnuts. If COVID-19 had not happened I would have not learned all of the recipes I got to learn. However, I might have had my championship swim meet and been a better swimmer. *Original text in Creator: Nicole Dumitrascu #LSMS #NSD -
04/17/2020
The Time Has Come to Consolidate, Says Head of Olekminsky District, Russia
“At this difficult time, not only for our country, but for the whole world, I ask you to treat with understanding the requirements and recommendations of the district and republican operational headquarters for measures aimed at preventing the import and spread of coronavirus infection COVID-19! An enemy came to us, invisible and treacherous. He did not come with a machine gun in his hands or with tanks. It is invisible, and can only be transmitted through people. They may be our relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbors. Therefore, I ask you to remain primarily a HUMAN! With understanding to treat this or that situation and to those people who involuntarily appeared in it… Head of the Republic A.S. Nikolaev declared this year the Year of Patriotism. So let's unite our efforts, unite ourselves around our leader and repulse the enemy, as our ancestors did 75 years ago!” #IndigenousStories -
2020-04-27
Indigenous Russian Village Celebrates Holiday Virtually
“This year, due to restrictive measures related to the prevention of the spread of coronavirus infection, the Day of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the Neryungri district is held online….The head of the district, Viktor Stanilovsky, chairman of the Assembly of Peoples of Yakutia Andrei Fitisov and chairmen of national communities congratulated the whole republic with a festive video clip, which is distributed in all popular social networks. On April 27, in the village of Hani, an online drawing contest ‘The Land of the Native’. Students and teachers of the local art school on a festive day became spectators of a virtual festive concert dedicated to the Republic Day ‘Shine and be glorified forever, my Yakutia!’ And the pupils of the theater and aesthetic departments take part in a media lesson on the history of the republic.” #IndigenousStories -
05/15/2020
Yakutian Urged to Join the 'Get Well' Project (Якутян призывают присоединиться к проекту «Поправляйся»)
“This year, due to restrictive measures related to the prevention of the spread of coronavirus infection, the Day of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the Neryungri district is held online….The head of the district, Viktor Stanilovsky, chairman of the Assembly of Peoples of Yakutia Andrei Fitisov and chairmen of national communities congratulated the whole republic with a festive video clip, which is distributed in all popular social networks. On April 27, in the village of Hani, an online drawing contest ‘The Land of the Native’. Students and teachers of the local art school on a festive day became spectators of a virtual festive concert dedicated to the Republic Day ‘Shine and be glorified forever, my Yakutia!’ And the pupils of the theater and aesthetic departments take part in a media lesson on the history of the republic.” #IndigenousStories -
March-May 2020
Pandemic Oral Histories: Busan, Delhi, Kaohsiung, Nanjing http://moderncity.georgetown.domains/oral-history-project/
These are four extended interviews with residents in Asian cities about their experience of the pandemic. *Students in the Georgetown University course, "Approaches to the Modern City," taught by Jordan Sand. *Interviews with residents in four Asian cities. -
2020-05-17
Student paper on federalism and coronavirus
Maya Martinez Dr. Phelps PSC 401D-1001 State Politics May 14, 2020 Federalism in the Wake of the Coronavirus The United States’ founders initially established a system that granted all authority to the states and none to the federal government, in an attempt to protect against tyrannical executives; when this system of government failed, more authority was granted to the federal level of government, with the caveat of the 10th amendment, which is commonly known as the “states’ rights” amendment. It must have been inconceivable at the time to imagine five different types of federalism would emerge from the founders’ decision to divide power in the United States the way they did. The five types of federalism are dual federalism, cooperative federalism, centralized federalism, new federalism, and ad hoc federalism (Greenblatt and Smith). Dual federalism lasted from 1789 to 1933. It was the variety of federalism that distinctly separated responsibilities and jurisdictions, with federal and state authority in clear layers, like chocoflan. Cooperative federalism was the backlash against dual federalism, occurring once it became clear the federal and state levels of government would always end up overlapping and muddled, never following the clear layers dual federalists advocated for. It lasted from 1933 to 1964. The Great Depression was one of cooperative federalism’s biggest developers as well, as local and state governments relied heavily on the federal government’s money and programs to support their people, granting more authority to the federal government in exchange. Centralized federalism was the next version of federal to take place, occurring from 1964 to 1980; this was a shift of power to the federal government, where grants limited the restrictions placed on states, but the amount of money the federal government gave states as well. New federalism occurred as republicans attempted to limit federal authority and return power to the states, from 1980 to 2002. The last and most recent phase of federalism began after in 2002 and is ongoing at the moment; this is ad hoc federalism. Ad hoc federalism is when the federal government either supports federal authority or states’ rights theory depending on which party is involved. The United States under Covid-19 is still in ad hoc federalism. The governor of Nevada instituted a mandatory stay at home order at the end of March, and like other governors, did not sway at the prodding of a president who only desired for the economy to open up without any concern about citizens’ lives. Economic growth is typically touted by both parties, but when it’s combined with a lack of concern over others’ well-being, it is a desire of the Republican Party. An obvious example of the U.S. still being in ad hoc federalism has been the president at first claiming that governors should be the ones in charge of the pandemic response, until he wanted to open the economy, then started talking about how the president was the most significant person in the country (Borger). Trump was obviously bouncing between federal and state responsibilities based off of what policy suited him and his party, which can also be seen in his preferential treatment of Republican states asking for supplies and resisting assisting blue states (Geltzer). Responses from the federal government, like the $1200 stimulus checks, were largely passed through bi-partisan efforts in Congress and had very little to do with Trump. Clearly, this is one executive who doesn’t know how to handle a pandemic, not that anyone should be surprised. States are lucky enough to have governors smart enough to collaborate to purchase supplies together and not let the president divide them, however, states having to take most of the action has led to a highly uneven response to the pandemic that could only occur under federalism. While it is good to imitate states that have flattened the curve early on like Washington, more unitary governments like South Korea have handled the crisis so quickly, it’s become clear there are advantages to centralized power during times of emergency. Work Cited Borger, Gloria. “Trump Wanted States to Take the Lead on Coronavirus. Until He Didn't.” CNN, Cable News Network, 13 Apr. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/04/13/politics/borger-analysis-federalism-trump/index.html. Cook, Nancy, and Dan Diamond. “'A Darwinian Approach to Federalism': States Confront New Reality under Trump.” POLITICO, www.politico.com/news/2020/03/31/governors-trump-coronavirus-156875. Diamond, Martin. “The Federalist on Federalism: ‘Neither a National Nor a Federal Constitution, But a Composition of Both.’” The Yale Law Journal , vol. 86, no. 1273, 1977. Geltzer, Joshua A. “Perspective | Trump's 'Corona-Federalism' Pits States against Each Other. It's a Disaster.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 8 Apr. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/08/trump-corona-federalism/. Glick, Noah, et al. “Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: April 8-14.” KUNR, www.kunr.org/post/novel-coronavirus-nevada-april-8-14#stream/0. Greenblatt, Alan. “Federal-State Relations.” CQ Researcher, vol. 28, no. 16, 27 Apr. 2018. Haffajee, Rebecca L., et al. “Thinking Globally, Acting Locally - The U.S. Response to Covid-19: NEJM.” New England Journal of Medicine, 7 May 2020, www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2006740. Law, John. “How Can We Define Federalism.” Perspectives on Federalism, vol. 5, no. 3, 2013. Smith, Kevin B., and Alan Greenblatt. “Chapter 2 Federalism.” Governing States and Localities, 7th ed., CQ Press, 2020, pp. 23–47. Wilson, Chris. “Here's How Quickly Coronavirus Is Spreading in Your State.” Time, Time, 13 May 2020, time.com/5814139/coronavirus-state-data-tracker/. -
2020-05-15
My COVID-19 Experience
My name is Kylan Ritchie. I am a fourteen-year-old freshman from a small town near Clarksville, Tennessee. I am homeschooled due to the fact that I am a professional actress. COVID-19 did not have any effect on my school however, it has had a temporary effect on my job. I normally have a summer acting job but, due to COVID-19, I will be spending my summer at home. During my time in quarantine, which started on March 18th, I have learned various things about myself, my friends, and my family. Personally, I have learned that when I set my mind to something, in this circumstance, that was school, I can achieve a lot more than I believed. I learned that I am a procrastinator and that is something that I am attempting to fix. Also, I have learned that I do, in fact, have the mental stability to stay locked away in my house for long periods of time. My situation is different in comparison to my friends because of my father and grandmother. My dad has a heart condition and will be turning sixty this year and consequently, he has a higher chance of getting the virus and it being life threatening. Likewise, my grandmother has severe asthma and has an even higher chance of dying if she were to catch the virus. Because of this, I have been strictly following the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines to shelter in place as well as the Tennessee government’s stay at home order. Although, it has been fairly difficult because my friends and family have not followed the same guidelines that I have been following. Many of my friends have not been social distancing at all after Tennessee’s government decided to lift its stay at home order. A few of my friends have found that seeing their boyfriends or girlfriends, seeing other friends, or going out to eat is more important than social distancing or quarantining. Some states have begun lifting their stay at home orders and have seen a spike in cases and deaths. In my home state of Tennessee specifically, phase one of reopening has begun. After the reopening began, there was a 130 percent increase in cases in Tennessee. In the U.S. according to recent updates, by May 14, 2020, there has been a total of 1.47 million confirmed cases with 88,144 deaths across the U.S. and it is rising every day. The amount of deaths correlating with COVID-19 has now surpassed the American death toll of both WWI and the Vietnam War. The sad thing is, the death toll and infection rate continues to climb however, many state governments have decided to open everything up once more, massive amounts of citizens are refusing to wear protection while out in public, and violence has begun between mask wearers and non-mask wearers. When we look back in America’s history, we can see how America was able to overcome various epidemics going back to the smallpox breakout from 1633-1634 that killed 70 percent of the Native American population. In the beginning, America never truly quarantined as many families in the 14th century had done during the Black Plague, also known as the Black Death, outbreak. One of the first mentions of quarantine due to an illness in America was during the yellow fever outbreak. After attempting to have state and local governments handle the containment of the illness with zero success, Congress passed the federal quarantine legislation in 1878. This did not conflict with the states’ rights, it showed that the federal government was ready to involve itself in the quarantine activities of America. The legislation gave the Surgeon General the ability to, “[m]ake and enforce such regulations as in his judgment are necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the States or possessions, or from one State or possession into any other State of possession.” Many epidemics in the U.S. such as the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 and the diphtheria epidemic of 1921-1925 have given me hope due to the fact that, in the end, a vaccine was created and licensed in order to lower the chance of America having another wave of that disease. For example, the Spanish flu, though it was horrible, and many people died from it, ended with the very first flu vaccine that would later stop millions of people from being infected. I believe that COVID-19, as of May 15, 2020, is far from over. There are still many waves to come unless people begin to quarantine and take precautions, or a vaccine is created. History shows that, in most cases, it takes a great deal of time to create a vaccine for diseases of this capacity. For this reason, I believe that many government related actions could be taken in order to prevent further spreading of the virus. In the end, I have decided to follow the advice of scientist and doctors who are seeing firsthand, what this virus is made of, what it does to a person’s body, and how it spreads. -
2020-05-13
Dozens of prehistoric, Roman and medieval sites discovered by archaeology volunteers working at home during lockdown
a group of researchers using LiDAR technology remotely from home were able to discover many unrecorded prehistoric, Roman, and Medieval sites within the Tellus valley and between Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor, Plymouth and Barnstaple -
2020-04
“People have described it as these times are unprecedented."
“People have described it as these times are unprecedented. Nobody has had to endure or deal with or live through something like this of this magnitude in the past. I know that there's always been previous flus or outbreaks or epidemics here and there you know the black plague obviously was a big one the Spanish Flu the flu of 1918 was pretty bad and you know a lot of those were pretty treacherous for how many lives that they took and how much it affected communities that way so thankfully we haven't had to deal with that a whole lot with this one as of right now.” -
2020-05-06
Post from Facebook group about COVID experiences and history
I think it captures the elements of human strength and tragedy experienced by people during this pandemic. I think that the hardship in NYC is felt especially strong in Easton, PA, as many people commute/have family in NYC/have lived in NYC. -
2020-04-01
The Office Coronavirus Meme
This meme resonated with me because it's very true, and it speaks volumes. The reaction of the time traveler would be exactly like the meme because 2020 seems like a terrible year. There are a lot of bad things about it outside of coronavirus, but the coronavirus is the main problem of 2020. I thought it was weird when I realized we were living in history right now, we are on lockdown and I had never imagined anything like this before. This year will be remembered forever, because I guarantee the world won't be the same for a while after this, possibly never the same again. #CSUS #HIST15H -
2020-04-23
Dear Future Historians
A personal account of how the pandemic has affected them. -
2020-04-18
Protecting History
The trailblazing women of Boston once again set an example for us to follow -
2020-03-27
History of Pandemics
An article about pandemics in history. -
2020-03-13
Christianity Has Been Handling Epidemics for 2000 Years
This article focuses on the history of Christian response to epidemics. Through studying history, the author concluded that most Christians followed the following commandment: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Rather than fleeing the epidemic, Christians would bring support and care to those in need regardless of religious beliefs. Another commandment that the author applied to this situation was, thou shalt not murder. This commandment not only means the literal act of murder, but the act of endangering others. Therefore, orders set in place by authority to keep others safe should be followed. In this article, the author continues to dive deep into scripture and correlates it to the present circumstances we are seeing today. -
2020-04-17
Covid-19, History in the Making
Personal beliefs on the pandemic: When glancing at the novel Coronavirus, there are plenty of questions that arise. How will the Coronavirus affect our future? How long will this pandemic last? How can we prevent such pandemics from occurring again? According to researchers across the globe, it is unclear how severe the Coronavirus is as it changes consistently. ... -
2020-04-11
How Covid-19 Impacts our World
Through recent news and stories, the novel coronavirus, commonly referred to as COVID-19, has brought attention to many countries and regions across the world. Currently, people have been developing symptoms of dry coughs, fevers, and pneumonia before actually being diagnosed with the virus. ...