The War of 1812 in 140 Characters or Less: "SuperCool or Super Un-tweet Worthy?"

The bicentennial of the War of 1812 provided the Archives of Ontario (AO) with a unique opportunity to employ social media to reach new audiences while speaking to the value of the archival record. Over the course of a year, the AO posted the diary entries of Ely Playter, a farmer and officer of the Upper Canada militia on Twitter (@ElyPlayter1812). A dedicated observer and recorder of daily life, Playter left behind an eyewitness account of the war, thereby giving a real voice to its social, economic, political and personal impact. The Twitter feed provided its followers access to historical records on a daily basis and became a cornerstone of related institutional educational programming. This article includes analysis of the project's methodology and provides insight into the challenges and opportunities of using social media to promote the importance of archives and primary source records.