Visualizing the history of US counties with Mapbox

Kerry Bannen, during her Master's in Information Science at the University of North Carolina, combined her passion for historical maps with her skills to create an interactive web map showcasing the history of U.S. counties and their evolving boundaries. Inspired by beautifully designed maps made with Mapbox, she used the platform to visualize complex historical data, initially focusing on North Carolina as a proof of concept before expanding to the entire United States using data from the Newberry Library's Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. Her map features a time slider that allows users to observe changes in county boundaries over time, and she added Native Land data to provide context about Indigenous territories, enhancing the historical narrative. Kerry's project relied heavily on Mapbox documentation, StackOverflow, and collaboration with her IT colleagues, demonstrating that even those new to map building can create meaningful projects with the right resources and determination. Her journey underscores the importance of starting small, leveraging available learning tools, and focusing on user experience to create impactful educational tools.

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