On Gettysburg’s 161st anniversary, contemplating how technology continues to change our legacies

On this day, 161 years ago, Union and Confederate troops fought in the battle of Gettysburg, the most important engagement of the Civil War.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, technology emerged as a solace for the bereaved families to better remember their loved ones and deal with grief.

They took to wearing lockets and rings bearing small, black-and-white photos of their loved ones; like this one of a young, proud soldier, posing for the camera in uniform, a great big bayonet attached to his rifle, and a bushy beard that barely concealed his baby face.

Early photography was a marked improvement on previous methods of depicting human likeness, like painting or sculpting. It must have been an immense comfort for the countless casualties of war to have more accurate and numerous images of their family members by which to remember..

Fast forward 161 years and technology has advanced. We live in an era of digital abundance, and memories are more vivid now, thanks to countless (color) photographs, videos, and other online items we leave behind. These have tremendous sentimental and monetary value, yet they are at peril if we don’t prepare.

The story of Rebecca Bistany, whose husband passed away without leaving information on his online accounts, and Nikki Earnhart, who lost access to her deceased partner's Google accounts for almost two years, a period after which Google reserves the right to delete inactive accounts, highlights the potential pitfalls of neglecting digital legacy planning.

Services like Google Passwords provide a secure way to store and manage passwords for various online accounts. However, they do not have legal standing or binding and do not have any legal authority to determine or enforce compliance and responsibility rest with the individual or entity using the passwords.

Inspired by how Civil War widows cherished the physical mementos of their loved ones, WiziWill was created to provide a secure digital haven for your legacy. Think of it as a modern-day locket - an app that connects to your various devices and accounts, consolidating them in one secure location. Our goal is to ensure that, in the event of your passing, your loved ones can access and cherish your memories, just like those Civil War families held onto the images of their fallen soldiers. This 161st anniversary of Gettysburg serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of memory and the responsibility we all share to preserve it, both for our own time and for generations to come, just like the soldier with the bushy beard who died at the Battle of Gettysburg, on this day, 161 years ago.