Learning web development from scratch can be a daunting task. In addition to programming languages, there are all kinds of tools it seems you need to master just to get started: bundlers, taskrunners, package managers, transpilers… when and how did web development get to be so complicated? In this talk, we’ll follow the evolution of a web page through time, introducing it to technical obstacles and innovations until we arrive at present day. We’ll come away with a better appreciation for the problems our modern tools solve, and historical context for how the field has evolved.