For this week’s practicum, I created a map using Google Map Engine, which allows users to plot events in specific geographic locations. In this example, the class used data from the 1st Regiment of the Michigan Calvary from 1864 – 1865.

Google Map Engine’s option to include different icons to label the locations helps to identify the various action that the regiment encountered during the Civil War. The list of battles and campaigns have been labeled with explosion-like symbols, which are most common in this map. The map itself reveals the pattern of movement in clusters of icons, but it doesn’t provide the order of events or other details. By clicking on each marked location on the map users can read more details, such as the specific dates. The ability to use layers allows users to separate events visually, however, I did not choose to use layers in this example. Looking back, I could have had different layers for battles, expeditions, and other different types of events. Or I could have made a layer each for 1864 to 1865. I tried creating layers after the events were created, but it wasn’t obvious as to how to place events on different layers, which is something I will need to look into.
The map is interesting to look at, though, if you think about how far this calvary traveled in two years. At the end of their enlistment, they were as far west as Utah.