Group members: Tripp, Elias, Max, Lloyd
Topic: The factual path of Jesse James compared to the novel-written path of the outlaw, including his infamous attempted robbery of the Northfield bank.
Sources: We plan to use, for now, Carleton’s digital archives, Dime Novels, and the special collections section of the Gould Library.
Processes: We plan to make an appointment with the Special collections department to read through several of Jesse James’ dime novels. We’re going to look for locations mentioned. When we have enough location data, we will input the data into ArcGIS and make a path of his travels according to the novels. We also plan on asking the Northfield Historical Society about the real path Jesse James took on his various pursuits. Finally, we will compare and contrast the two paths.
Presentation: We will present the results in a web app in ArcGIS and make sure to use different colors for the two different paths. We will also embed the web app in our WordPress website.
Past projects we could reference: TravellersMap, Mapping Theatre in Australia
Our Charter
Our group will stay in communication via a group chat and email. One value we all share is an interest in ArcGIS mapping and we thought Jesse James, who has a history in Northfield, was a riveting topic. If there are any disagreements, we can work it out in the group chat and come to an agreement whether it’s a 50-50 compromise or a slight concession. Our unique tag for this project will be “Jesse James”.
Our responsibilities are as follows:
Contacting outside sources: Elias
Reading through novels: All of us, but primarily Tripp and Lloyd
ArcGIS mapping: All of us, but led by Tripp and Max
Writing blogs: All of us, but Tripp will post.
Other responsibilities will be decided as we feel necessary.
5 thoughts on “The Facts and Fiction of Jesse James: Project Pitch”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
It seems like there are a lot of Dime novels to look through and compile information from. Do you have any plans to exclude some? I also wonder if Carleton is mentioned in any of them. Carleton would have been a relatively new college at the time, so I wonder if it would even be worth mentioning.
This is a cool project! I think it’s interesting how Northfield has incorporated Jesse James into its culture. I don’t know much about Jesse James, but I am eager to learn more about him and his journey. I think the fact that people made up places where he went is really interesting, and it will be cool to see how his real journey differs from of his fictional one.
This is a cool idea! I am surprised there are so many novels about Jesse James. I am excited to learn more about his journey through your project and be able to see the information you gather from so many novels put into one map.
This group’s idea to compare Jesse James’ factual path with the novel-written path, utilizing a variety of sources and interactive presentation methods, is a commendable and engaging approach to historical research. This meticulous research plan and innovative presentation strategy is probably one of the best approaches i’ve seen and really impressed.
I think it is really interesting that you chose to map the factual path of Jesse James compared to the novel-written path of the outlaw, this is a very engaging idea, and furthermore, I think it is a very strong foundation idea for a final project.I am excited to see what you final product looks like.