Using Historical Maps and Mapping Tools in Genealogy

Historical maps can help identify your ancestor’s neighbors, migration routes, churches, where they might be buried, and much more. This lecture will review the types of maps available online, where to find them, what they mean, and how to use various free mapping tools to combine different types of maps and data in order to create your own maps based on your research.

Outline:
1. How maps can be used in genealogy with several examples
2. Map basics: location, orientation, and scale
3. Cadastral maps, includes overview of property definition in Federal Land and State Land states
4. Other types of maps: transportation, terrain, soil, aerial, governmental, statistical/data
5. Finding maps online and offline: modern, historical, jurisdiction boundaries, GIS systems
6. Saving maps on your computer
7. Georeferencing maps and map overlays
8. Making and sharing your own maps: Google maps, GIS software, story maps, and map overlays.
9. Using Artificial Intelligence for map analysis

*** Please note:  Some of the material in this lecture overlaps with “Understanding Time and Place by Finding, Using, and Creating Historical Overlay Maps” which was presented earlier this summer.