HIST 396 - Manuscripts and Archives: An Introduction (3 credits)

This course introduces students to a range of important issues concerning the source of the raw materials that most professional historians work with: archival documents and manuscripts. Students learn to locate, read, describe, transcribe, and digitize a variety of original archival materials that have never been published before. We also trace the broad history of libraries and archives, evaluate a wide range of digital archives, and consider the effects of the digital revolution on archival studies. This course includes an examination of the historiography and theorizing of archives and manuscripts. F, S.