From Attic to Algorithm: How Everyday Americans Are Unlocking Millions of Handwritten Historical Records
Across the country, volunteers armed with nothing more than a laptop and a curiosity for the past are transcribing millions of handwritten historical documents — from Civil War diaries to immigration manifests — and making them searchable for the very first time. Crowdsourced transcription initiatives led by institutions like the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian are reshaping who gets to participate in historical research. The results are accelerating discovery at a pace that traditional