Mapping Your Ancestors: Unlocking Genealogical and Historical Stories Through Cartographic Resources

Discover how maps can bring your ancestors’ stories to life in Mapping Your Ancestors. Designed for genealogists, local historians, and librarians, this 10-week course presents an overview of historical cartography and modern mapping tools. Learn to trace family migrations, explore ancestral land ownership, and uncover the context of historical events through colonial maps, Sanborn fire insurance maps, and more. With hands-on training in tools like Google Earth, GIS tools, and AI-enhanced platforms, you’ll gain skills to discover a treasure trove of genealogical and historical insights from maps.

Fridays, 12 September-21 November (10 weeks). 10:00-2:00 Mountain Time.

Week 1: Foundations of Cartography

The Art and Science of Mapmaking and Interpretation

Instructor: Melinda Kashuba

This lecture covers periods of major change in American map making and maps. To understand early American maps, this presentation draws upon European technology, exploration, history, science, art, and iconography to explain why maps look the way they do. During the 19th century, America became the innovator of many modern map making techniques. Basic characteristics of maps will be introduced as a foundation to this course.

Colonial American Maps

Instructor: Melinda Kashuba

Early maps are important because they reveal colonial boundaries, settlements, migration/trade routes and old placenames. This lecture will discuss how to determine a map’s purpose such as navigation, land claims, and propaganda that inspired European investment and mislead competing colonizer nations. Understanding colonial maps helps genealogists see the world through the eyes of their ancestors, colonizers and those who were colonized. Though many of these maps are quite beautiful, their beauty sometimes hid the power they represented.

Week 2: Revolutionary and Post-Revolutionary America

Surveying the Revolution: Examining 18th-Century Military Cartography

Instructor: Michael Strauss, AG

Throughout the Revolutionary War, military cartography played an essential role for British and American forces, facilitating strategic planning, troop deployments, reconnaissance, and identifying critical locations for tactical superiority. This ultimately influenced the outcomes of significant battles such as Saratoga and Yorktown. Additionally, this session will explore the difficulties associated with 18th-century mapmaking, especially concerning the precision of topographical representations and how these maps affected the results of key confrontations.

The Cartography of a Growing Nation

Instructor: Melinda Kashuba

This lecture dives into the key periods of U.S. territorial expansion between 1783-1860. The maps created during this time period were influenced by Manifest Destiny, the Louisiana Purchase and other treaties and purchases in Florida, Texas, Oregon, and the Mexican Cession. Western exploration and the federal government’s interest in controlling, identifying natural resources, organizing, and selling western lands drove the production of maps. The Public Land Survey System was developed to speed land sales and enable settlers to acquire land. Township and Range land division and how to use the record resources of the General Land Office will be covered in this presentation. 

Week 3: Land Ownership and Boundary Maps

Boundary Changes in the United States: Implications for Genealogical Research

Instructor: Melinda Kashuba

A brick wall that many genealogists encounter is not finding a record where it was thought to be. Jurisdictional shifts can bedevil the genealogist. This lecture will examine jurisdictional changes from colonial boundaries to 20th century adjustments. When a boundary change occurs where the records are kept can change. Resources and tools to help discern boundary changes will be discussed including the Newberry Library’s Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. Understanding internal boundary changes turns what could be a perplexing maze into a navigable path to locating an ancestral record. 

Plat Maps and Land Grants

Instructor: Kimberly Powell

Week 4: Specialized Historical Maps

Charting the Battlefield: Exploring Civil War Maps

Instructor: Michael Strauss

The role of cartography in the Civil War underscores the dependence on how both Union and Confederate forces relied on maps for strategic decision-making and battlefield tactics. This includes studying the approaches of key cartographers on both sides whose comprehensive maps greatly affected military operations. This session considers the legacy of Civil War cartography in relation to the War of the Rebellion Atlas, which is relevant for current historical research.

Urban Ethnic and Cultural Mapping

Instructor: Melinda Kashuba

Historic ethnic and cultural maps are powerful tools for family historians. We will examine maps created by the US Census Bureau and other institutions to document industrialization, migration to American cities, and the formation of ethnic enclaves with distinctive neighborhood patterns. This lecture connects the dots between macro governmental policies and individual lives. Case studies include the ethnic succession in immigrant gateway neighborhoods and segregation as depicted on redlining maps. How to locate map resources for places relevant to your community and family will be discussed.

Week 5: Industrial Era and Urban Cartography

Decoding Urban Landscapes: Using Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

Instructor: Michael Strauss

Explore the invaluable function of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps as essential resources for urban historians. Founded in 1867 by Daniel A. Sanborn, the company aimed to evaluate fire insurance risks. These maps provide intricate representations of urban landscapes, noting building outlines, construction materials, usage, and the surrounding infrastructure.

An Overview of Transportation Maps Useful for Genealogical Research

Instructor: Melinda Kashuba

Railroad and transportation maps are effective research aids for understanding the context of your ancestor’s lives. “How did my ancestors get here?” “Why did they settle in this place?” “What was their journey like?” These are all common questions that genealogists consider.  Transportation maps suggest the potential paths of migration, document the rise and fall of communities and give insight into the decision-making or our ancestors. River systems, canal shipping maps, railroad guides and those beloved 20th century glove compartment road maps connect us to the very human desire to move.

BCG’s Joy Reisinger Lecture Series, (Fri., Oct 17, 2025 – no class)

Week 6: Modern Cartography in the 20th Century

Lines of Battle: The Evolution of Military Maps in the World Wars

Instructor: Michael Strauss

This lecture explores the transformation of military cartography across the World Wars, highlighting the evolution from traditional topographic maps to situational maps, cutting-edge aerial photography, and focused trench warfare maps. It considers how technological innovations, and strategic imperatives have shaped the practice of map-making, influencing military operations and intelligence gathering. Students will gain a deeper appreciation for the pivotal role of cartography in contemporary warfare and its effects on historical outcomes.

Religion and Maps in America

Instructor: Melinda Kashuba

This session explores how maps about religion created by government and religious institutions can inform genealogical research and provide insight into how our ancestors understood their place in America. Internal migration and immigration spurred by religious fervor helped create the religious map of our country. Key demographic data sources about religion will be discussed for the insights that they can provide into movement and settlement. Case studies of various denominations will be highlighted including Shaker maps, maps depicted in Bibles, and maps with moral messaging created by religious institutions.

Week 7: Digital Mapping Tools, Part 1

Introduction to Google Earth Pro for Genealogists

Instructor: Melinda Kashuba

What genealogist wouldn’t like a free application that can show you where your ancestors lived and give you directions on how to get there?  This session covers the basic genealogical uses of Google Earth Pro (GEP), a geobrowser that accesses recent satellite and aerial imagery. Students will learn how to access historical imagery within GEP and how to layer historical maps over modern imagery. GEP can help researchers to trip plan and find locations by downloading maps ahead of time to be used in the field when internet access is not available. Would you like to stimulate interest in genealogy with non-genealogists? Tours of ancestral locations can be created with GEP that include audio, video and still photographs.

Integrating AI in Land Record Analysis for Genealogy

Instructor: Jennifer Dunn

This session will cover how AI can help you analyze land records, including platting and anchoring your ancestor’s land geographically on modern maps. Students will learn how to get started with AI (including what AI can and cannot do), how to prompt AI for optimal success, and how to interpret AI’s results. Aside from platting and mapping mentioned above, this example-heavy session will include using AI to search maps and land records, and how to use AI to slice and dice large amounts of deed abstract data. Finally, we’ll discuss the practical and ethical  considerations of AI, including respecting copyright and the ethics of using AI generated text and images in publications.

Week 8: Digital Mapping Tools, Part 2

Historical GIS for Genealogists

Instructor: Rick Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

This lecture will identify a variety of historical Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with a focus on how they can be employed in genealogical research. In addition to this survey, several case studies will be presented that demonstrate the power of these tools in advancing our genealogical research. 

Government Mapping Resources

Instructor: Rick Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

We will explore a range of map resources created by the U.S. Government to include USGS Historical Topographic Maps, the new US Topo maps launched in 2006, the historical collection of the Coast Survey (NOAA), Story Maps of the Library of Congress, and many other government resources. 

Week 9: Digital Mapping Tools, Part 3

Mapping Tools

Instructor: Melinda Kashuba

This session is a review of online mapping tools that are significant to family history research.  Randy Major’s Map Tools, Ancestry and My Heritage interactive mapping capabilities, HistoryGeo, Animap, Earthpoint, Regrid, and other services, both free and by subscription. 

Google My Maps for Genealogy

Instructor: Kimberly Powell

Week 10: Advanced Topics and Final Reflections

Using Social and Environmental Maps to Tell Your Story

Instructor: Melinda Kashuba

This lecture focuses on 20th and 21st century issues and how maps were used to describe them on the national and regional scales. “Why did my family live here? Four case studies will be presented related to public health mapping, population shifts due to environmental disasters, post-war suburbanization and urban renewal, and weather and climate changes. Government and other institutional map sources for historical and modern maps will be presented to assist students to document their own personal histories.

Incorporating Maps into Your Practice

Instructor: Melinda Kashuba

Review of the major themes and resources of the course. Discussion of student projects that demonstrate integration of maps into research, storytelling, and public history projects.