Papers of the War Department 1784-1800

FAIN: RQ-50334-08

George Mason University (Fairfax, VA 22030-4444)
Christopher Hamner (Project Director: November 2007 to June 2011)

Work on the online edition's editorial apparatus and finding aids, including preparation of introductory material, a biographical directory, and a timeline. (36 months)

On the night of November 8, 1800, fire devastated the War Office, consuming the papers, records, and books stored there. For the past two centuries, scholars believed these papers irretrievable. Papers of the War Department 1784-1800, an innovative digital editorial project, aims to change that by making some 45,000 documents of the early War Department available online to scholars, students, and the general public.

Associated Products

The Papers of the War Department (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: The Papers of the War Department
Author: Christopher Hamner
Abstract: On the night of November 8, 1800, fire destroyed the War Office, including the papers, records, and books stored there. The Papers of the War Department 1784-1800, a digital editorial project, will be reconstructing some 42,000 documents many long thought irretrievable, through a multi-year research effort. The documents are available in a free, online format with extensive and searchable metadata linked to digitized images of each document, thereby insuring free access for a wide range of users, both scholars and the interested general public.
Year: 2006
Primary URL: http://wardepartmentpapers.org/index.php
Access Model: Website

Parameters: Knowledge Under Digital Conditions (Blog Post)
Title: Parameters: Knowledge Under Digital Conditions
Author: Sheila A. Brennan
Abstract: The blog post describes reconstruction of paper records and overall sustainability of materials. It specifically cites the successful Papers of the War Department 1784-1800 project, and also an instance when paper records could not be reconstructed. It ends with a brief discussion of the importance and necessity of digital sustainability of records, and cites guidelines and grant programs that can help.
Date: 06/07/2017
Primary URL: http://parameters.ssrc.org/2017/06/data-loss-and-recovery-in-the-age-of-paper/
Primary URL Description: SSRC blog post site
Secondary URL: http://www.ssrc.org/
Secondary URL Description: Parent organization
Blog Title: Data loss and recovery in the age of paper
Website: SSRC Digital Projects

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