I was one of the interns during the summer of 2019 at Gettysburg National Military Park. This internship was a chance for me to explore the National Park Service and archival research. During my time at Gettysburg, I traveled to three different archival intuitions and collected primary sources to bring back to the park’s archive and library. We traveled to the New York State Archives, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and to the National Archives in DC. One of the most exciting items we collected was the New York State Commission on Monuments for the Battle of Gettysburg. When we were not traveling and collecting the primary sources for the park we were busily transcribing. The people and setting of Gettysburg allowed us to explore other interests we had. In my final weeks of the internship I was able to give programs at the Gettysburg National Cemetery, which allowed me to connect with the people visiting the park. It also allowed us to compose a historical-fiction children’s book. If you have the opportunity to apply for this internship, I highly recommend that you do because you will not find a better opportunity.
Ethan Smith ’20 outside of the National Archives in DC