Facing the History Machine: Toward Histories of Digital History

This article explores the history and genealogies of digital history, set within the broader context of how new technologies have shaped historical research practices and knowledge production since at least the late nineteenth century. For over a century, historians have reflected on the impact of mechanical aids and computing on their discipline. Along the way, they have debated key epistemological and methodological questions that have resurfaced in our current era of digital history, yet this is often forgotten. To understand what is new in digital history and how past work can inform present debates and practices, we need a self-understanding grounded in history. Moreover, the role of technology in historical research serves as a reminder of its influence in shaping the history of historiography in general. The first section of the article discusses the existing historiography of digital history and argues for more attention to disciplinary differences in histories of digital humanities. In the second section, I explore how one could frame a history of digital history and identify several dimensions that require closer examination. The third section integrates these in a chronological exploration of digital history’s genealogies. In the concluding section, I propose several avenues for future research and briefly discuss some of the work needed to enable this.