About the Project
Editing Populism is a work of digital scholarship which seeks to enhance historical understanding of the social and cultural climate of late nineteenth-century America by clarifying existing concepts of the nature of both Midwestern Populism and social Christianity. Initially developed for a graduate seminar in Digital History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, this project utilizes the unique advantages of digital technologies to examine the rhetoric of George H. Gibson, editor of Nebraska's official Populist newspaper from October of 1893 to January of 1896, for evidence of the nature of his political and social ideology. Gibson’s involvement with Midwestern Populism and association with several forms of social Christianity presents a unique opportunity to investigate connections and realize distinctions between the philosophies and strategies of several types of late nineteenth-century social reform. This project continues to be developed, and will eventually be incorporated into the author’s master thesis.
Acknowledgements
This digital project would not have been possible without the encouragement, support, and enthusiasm of Dr. Douglas Seefeldt. The author is grateful for both his impartment of knowledge and his patience in educating a “non-computer person.” Thank you also to Dr. William G. Thomas and UNL’s Center for Digital Research in the Humanities for extending to the author the opportunity to expand her knowledge of, and experience with, digital technologies. The author is greatly indebted to Dr. Brian L. Pytlik Zillig for creating the digital textual analysis tool TokenX, and for working directly with the author to enhance this project’s utilization of TokenX. Thank you to Jonathan Feinberg for creating Wordle. Special thanks also go to the author’s fellow history graduate students, Jason Heppler, Brent Rogers, and Nic Swiercek, for their advice and assistance in creating a work of digital scholarship. The author would also like to thank the Nebraska State Historical Society, particularly archivist Matt Piersol, for providing access to and direct assistance in locating resources imperative to this project’s creation. Last, but certainly not least, the author would like to thank her family for their support with regard to both this project and her other endeavors as a student of history.
About the Author
Michelle Tiedje is a Ph.D. student in history at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her research focuses on the influence of Protestant Christianity on American society and culture. She is particularly interested in nineteenth-century concepts of social justice and social reform strategies. Michelle studied German at the University of Nebraska-Omaha before transferring to East Tennessee State University, where she majored in history, minored in women's studies, and graduated magna cum laude. She currently resides in Lincoln with her husband.
Contact Information
Michelle Tiedje
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
612 Oldfather Hall
Lincoln, NE 68588
mtiedje@huskers.unl.edu