It is startling to think that the papers of these two Englishmen sat largely unknown for two hundred years and now with the global reach of the internet they can be seen by nearly anyone. The opportunities of digital history are breathtaking. However, like any endeavor they also carry certain liabilities. Let’s look at a description of some of the features of contemporary digital history projects. Working through the list of these qualities provides an opportunity to address how the New Eden project is part of this digital landscape, but also how we might address and, hopefully, mitigate the negative aspects of the format.

Many digital history projects are either passion projects of a committed (but not always authoritative) individual/small group, or a commercial venture. Further, these projects are often by design and ambition of limited scope—either what the author(s) were interested in, or thought might be marketable. The Constable Papers are many of these things. This is an example of a passion project. I discovered them in the museum’s backlog in 2003 and have been actively interested in them ever since. Acknowledging that I am not a subject expert on the history of the early republic, I am fortunate that the museum, at which they are held, has a tremendous library and map collection to provide context. The project further benefits from the fact that the Constable Papers are primarily journals. This means that individual entries can be studied and delivered in small digestible installments that respect their original content and length. We don’t have to upload the entirety of the papers in one go. As we prepare the entries the reader is in many ways experiencing the events described as the brothers did—episodically and in daily bite sized snippets contributing to a sense of immersion.

The sense of discovery can be the most compelling part of the process and plays to the strengths of digital history; its ability to combine multiple media—pictures, video, audio, and text to tell an engaging story even if at times this simplifies or skews the objective facts of the events. The story is nonetheless what captures a layperson’s interest. The tale of an unknown moment, of an underappreciated people, or a pivotal event makes for a hook that keeps the viewer invested. The New Eden project is able to capitalize upon the promise of the Papers, without oversimplification or anachronisms, due to the considerable resources of their repository—an art museum specializing in the people, landscape, and culture of the United States, 1800 to the present. The museum has the original documents to share as well as period images, books, and maps to provide the context to the events in the journals.

The structure is perfect for what the Constable brothers deliver. They had a knack for being at the right place and time. They travel through North America at a pivotal moment. They are meeting the revolutionary generation—both the rebels in the United States who had thrown off the British Crown, as well as the Tory loyalists who migrated to Canada. They are seeing events that would shape the people and culture of the continent for generations to come. Across a journey of six thousand miles, they visit both the small hamlets and great cities, and while there see the first museum, the first art school, and the newly seeded seat of government. They encounter our first great artists, thinkers, and statesmen. They see moments of historical importance like the early exploratory surveys and high treason. It is not just the powerful and important, the brothers are urbane and inquisitive, talking to any and all they meet—farmers, inn keepers, African American church parishioners, and Native American communities. In short, the preparation for this digital trip may be long in building, but the material is rich and interesting, making the it well worth the effort.