Robert Nelson, Director, Digital Scholarship Lab, University of Richmond, and Christine Berkowitz, Lecturer, University of Toronto Scarborough The History Engine is a pedagogically oriented project that collects “episodes”—concise vignettes about local historical events—written by undergraduate students. This presentation will highlight how this project uses digital technologies to foster collaboration among students within and between different universities, fosters inter-institutional collaboration among the many colleges that have participated in the project, and publishes student scholarship that is of interest and value to a broad public.

1. THE HISTORY ENGINE 2.0
RESEARCHING LOCALLY, COLLABORATING
GLOBALLY
ROBERT NELSON, DIRECTOR, DIGITAL SCHOLARSHIP LAB, UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND
CHRISTINE BERKOWITZ, DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES/HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
SCARBOROUGH

8. 3873 pageviews from April 12, 2011 to April 11, 2012

9. 2257 pageviews from April 12, 2011 to April 11, 2012

10. 1467 pageviews from April 12, 2011 to April 11, 2012

11. 1283 pageviews from April 12, 2011 to April 11, 2012

15. Location: Toronto, Ontario Canada
Tags: Women, media, workforce
Women in Transition
A Brief Look into the Conflicts Between Media Images of
Women and the Working Reality in 1950s and 1960s Canada.
“A woman’s place is in the home” is a phrase which dominated discourse on the roles of women for much
of the twentieth century, even when that discourse was written by women. Elizabeth Long was a
prominent radio personality who retired from the CBC in 1956 and was primarily concerned with
discussing women’s interests.1 She was also the vice president of the International Council of Women and
the Council of Women in Canada at the time. Reflecting on her own career, Long indicates that the
possibilities for women are endless provided they do their best, something which she feels they generally
aren’t doing. She believes that this is because women are in a “preferred position” and that no one
generally thinks less of them for their failures, thus they have no incentive to succeed. She goes on to say
that the one arena in which women do usually do their best is in motherhood but that their efforts usually
taper off when their baby is no longer a baby.
Long’s view is typical of the views expressed in the media at the time, but not however reflective of
the practical, daily experiences of women in the 1950s and 1960s. This period was one of great transition
for women as they continued to demand rights and respect despite the pressures of the media and even

16. Date: July 1988
Location: Canada, South Africa, British Commonwealth
Tags: Apartheid, international relations
Brian Mulroney, Terrorist Sympathizer?
It all began with a birthday letter delivered from one political leader to another, albeit the receiving leader was in prison at the
time. In the middle of the month of July in the year 1988, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney sent a message meant to
honour the 70th birthday of the then imprisoned African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela. The letter wished Mandela a
happy birthday and expressed Mulroney’s hopes that Mandela would soon be free and in a place of power to bring positive change
to the terribly racist South African society of the time.1 In response to this, the South African Foreign Minister R.F. Botha accused
Mulroney of fraternizing with and supporting terrorism. Furthermore, Botha also added that Mulroney’s letter had also discredited
himself as a relevant voice in the debate concerning apartheid in South Africa. Mulroney wasn’t alone with his sentiment however
as his own External Affairs Minister Joe Clark also released a more formal statement urging the Botha government to release
Nelson Mandela as a political gesture to the world that they are willing to truly negotiate. Various other heads of state and political
figures echoed Mulroney and Clarks statements.2 Many from far more powerful and relevant countries to South Africa such as
Britain and Germany, yet it would seem, the Botha government only directed their attention towards the Canadians.
How did a Canadian prime minster become accused by another head of state of being a supporter of terrorism anyway? It was
because of Mr. Mulroney and Joe Clarks prominent roles in pushing the united weight of the British Commonwealth Nations
against the South African Government. To be fair to the National Party, of which Botha belonged, did have fair reason to declare

26. http://historyengine.richmond.edu