The mapping projects that I created using StoryMapJS and Google Maps were awesome tools to help me visualize my research for my project. Having to look up and find sources for the individual points when making the maps proved invaluable. Not only did I find new primary sources, but I also found new techniques to help me when I’m conducting my research. I made my maps on political polarization in America starting with the 2000 Presidential election and moving forward to the Trump era in the present-day. A challenge I faced was deciding what to map out. This topic does not necessarily have specific locations for certain bullet points, like when Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022. I simply used the Twitter headquarters in San Franscico, California as the location for that part. This is a topic that is very relevant, and I have already done tons of research on it, so I did not learn that much about the topic itself, but I learned solid ways to map out my bullet points.
The StoryMapJS was a helpful tool that imposed a learning experience. Having to put all my topics in sequential order was eye opening on how I wanted to write about my topic. Using the images, I was able to walk through how I wanted to portray my ideas. I ended up running into trouble when it came to how I wanted to describe the various presidential elections and Elon Musk buying Twitter.
On the contrary, the Goole maps was like StoryMapJS, but the user interface was a little trickier and it ended up taking me longer to complete. The different non-linear format of Google Maps reinforced my thought process for how I wanted to portray my project. The different layers of the software were interesting, but unnecessary for my topic of political polarization because it is so streamlined and doesn’t focus on specific locations. I did, however, have to come up with additional points to satisfy the requirements. All in all, I enjoyed using Google maps more than StoryMapJS.
When physically mapping history, it forces you to garner an objective perspective and seek information you wouldn’t find normally. It requires you to get out of your comfort zone and push yourself. This causes you to come up with ideas that you normally wouldn’t. Another aspect that these maps make you think about how spatial history challenges and reinforces historical assumptions by shifting the way historians analyze and interpret the past, emphasizing space, movement, and geography in ways that can expose new patterns or complicate established narratives. This exercise was a phenomenal way to touch up on my digital elements skills and help me think outside the box in regards to how I want to portray my project.
StoryMapJS Link: https://storymap.knightlab.com/edit/?id=hist-390-storymap
Goole Map Link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/edit?mid=1XfBifv-DyoaRHU1ry3nCdjuO34ghB6g&ll=1.730113837851711%2C0&z=2