Maps

This is a great map I found online a long time ago, not even sure where, but it's of Marshalltown, Iowa.  It gives a great view of what the area looked like.

I have found maps to be very helpful in figuring out a person's life, especially in the 1700-1800 when many people migrated across the county.  Might have been born in New York, then next time you find them they are living in Ohio, and then next they are in Southern Illinois, and final stop Iowa.  Looking at a USA map, you can see the long journey they took; not on a plane or car, but on foot, horseback or covered wagons.  I wouldn't want to move like that! 

Maps also can help you with other parts of the world that you may not be familiar with or even a specific time period.  The maps can give you clues to what countries became which new county as well; especially in the ancient times.

Map left is Fulk V's Crusade Map.  Near East 1135 between the First & Second Crusades.  

Some of the best maps are from Wars.  You can see the hardship of a soldier's journey by tracing their footsteps.  One way to do this is by the war papers you can receive from the National Archives.  I have received several family member's papers from the Civil War.  You can see their muster rolls and discharge information, and follow along on a map their journey.  It is amazing the journey they took to fight for what they believed in.  Other great military maps are from World Wars.  You can see below the map that shows where the Forts / Post were in United States during WWI.

WWII

 Civil War Map

Revolutionary War

With the invention of the internet, now you have maps at your finger tips. I use to wait for my National Geographic magazine to come when they gave out free maps (which I still have), to see if that months map would be useful.  Now you have websites like Google Maps, Bing Maps, and Mapquest that you can see virtual photographs now.  There are many, many more sites as well; possibilities are endless.  Just Google the maps of the wars your looking for, you will receive a large selection to pick from.

So when you're confused about a family's life, pull up a map from that time period, it could give you a lot of clues.  When your trying to track where a loved one traveled during war time, pull up a map!  

Tip of the day: Remember that county lines can change. Someone may be in one county in one census, and in a different county the next-- but it could still be the same house.  The name of the county could have changed or the boundaries could have just changed.  So take a look at a period map!