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UID:pretalx-spathum24-ZTPTB3@pretalx.com
DTSTART;TZID=CET:20240926T140000
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DESCRIPTION:## Abstract ##\nThis paper explores the potential of Geographic
  Information Systems (GIS) as a method for historical deconstruction and s
 ource criticism that can address the limitations of quantitative approache
 s in contemporary historical research. While quantitative methods in histo
 ry have lost prominence\, especially in light of the New Cultural History'
 s emphasis on power dynamics and the shift towards centering marginalized 
 populations\, this paper proposes a novel approach using GIS to analyze qu
 antitative sources in a more critical manner. The method involves layering
  different sources to reveal and transcend biases inherent in historical d
 ata and its creators\, thereby offering a nuanced understanding of complex
  historical formations. The discussion draws on the web map "Land Acquisit
 ion and Dispossession: Mapping the Homestead Act\, 1863-1912\," published 
 by the author together with Robert K. Nelson and Justin Madron in the onli
 ne historical atlas American Panorama in 2021 as well as the author's Post
 doc project on the same theme at Leipzig University's SFB 1199.\n\n## Intr
 oduction ##\nHistorical research has witnessed a shift away from quantitat
 ive approaches\, once considered pivotal for representing historical reali
 ty on a large scale. The data positivism associated with historical statis
 tics has been criticized for reflecting the perspectives of the entities g
 enerating them\, such as governments and businesses. The rise of the New C
 ultural History\, with its emphasis on power dynamics and marginalized pop
 ulations\, further challenges the utility of quantitative history. In resp
 onse\, this paper introduces GIS as a method that can transcend the limita
 tions of earlier quantitative approaches by employing a layered approach t
 o historical data.\n\n## Background and Rationale ##\nWhile the digital hu
 manities and digital history have contributed to a modest revival of stati
 stical methods in history\, they still need to fully address the reservati
 ons raised against their quantitative predecessors. Also\, many digital pr
 ojects focus on visualizing sources rather than developing new arguments. 
 Quantitative methods\, therefore\, remain rare in historical studies. This
  paper advocates for the use of GIS and georeferencing as a means to break
  with the data positivism of earlier quantitative approaches\, providing a
  framework for historical deconstruction and source criticism.\n\n## Metho
 dology ##\nThe paper discusses the application of GIS\, specifically using
  open-source software like QGIS\, to layer different historical sources. T
 his method allows researchers to acknowledge and navigate the one-sidednes
 s of certain source groups\, providing a historical representation from mu
 ltiple perspectives. The layering process enables the integration of diver
 se data sources while recognizing and accounting for inherent biases. The 
 paper emphasizes that\, despite the digital nature of GIS\, the used data 
 should be approached with the same level of source criticism as traditiona
 l historical research.\n\n## Case Study ##\nThe primary case study draws o
 n a Postdoc project at Leipzig University's SFB 1199\, which investigates 
 the impact of the U.S. Homestead Act of 1862 on Indigenous nations. As wit
 h many studies on colonial history\, the project encounters an uneven sour
 ce situation\, with limited statistical or other uniform source sets from 
 Indigenous actors. The paper demonstrates how GIS layering can help to add
 ress the one-sided source situation. Layering sources such as statistics o
 n homestead land claims\, maps of Indigenous land cessions and reservation
 s\, and data on frontier clashes between Indigenous nations\, U.S. Army pe
 rsonnel\, and civilians can help us deconstruct and contextualize these hi
 storical data layers. We gain a more critical understanding of the source 
 datasets and their biases while maintaining the source datasets' grand sco
 pe and explanatory potential. The methodology promises to combine the crit
 ical edge more common to small historical case studies with the large scal
 e and long duration of macro-historical approaches.\n\n## Conclusion ##\nT
 he paper presents examples from the author's research on the intertwinemen
 t of homesteading and Indigenous dispossession between the 1860s and the 1
 910s. It shows that many legal assumptions regarding the nature and timing
  of the historical process by which Indigenous lands became U.S. governmen
 t property and only later were opened to white settlement bore little rela
 tion to reality. The real process was messier and more violent than a focu
 s on statute books\, land statistics\, or even a singular focus on frontie
 r violence would suggest. While alone\, the different datasets would tell 
 very one-sided stories\, their combination creates a framework for a nuanc
 ed history on a grand scale. In telling this history\, the paper proposes 
 GIS layering as a valuable method for historical deconstruction and source
  criticism\, especially in contexts with limited or biased data. By acknow
 ledging and addressing the one-sidedness of historical sources\, GIS poten
 tially allows for a more nuanced understanding of complex historical proce
 sses. As the discipline moves away from quantitative approaches\, GIS prov
 ides a digital method that aligns with the principles of historical source
  criticism\, fostering a more comprehensive and inclusive historical schol
 arship.
DTSTAMP:20260513T004617Z
LOCATION:MG1/02.05
SUMMARY:Layering Sources in GIS as a Method of Historical Deconstruction an
 d Source Criticism - Julius Wilm
URL:https://pretalx.com/spathum24/talk/ZTPTB3/
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