Three New History Mapping Tools
I started drawing and mapping deeds in 2014. The more mapping that I do, the more I appreciate the fact that it reveals things about my ancestors that isn’t immediately apparent by simply reading the documents. Personalized maps reveal how close one family lived to another. They reveal the neighbors of my ancestors. They show the nearest creeks, mountains, and towns where my ancestors would have visited.
When I realized that I could use new AI tools to get a new perspective on information that I’ve collected for decades, I was excited! So far, I have created three specific tools using Claude Code. I don’t believe I could have created these one year ago, and maybe not even six months ago. The technology is advancing extremely quickly. AI is here, and it’s becoming more prevalent in our world every day. That can be scary, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Instead, I choose to use it for good by allowing it to act as another tool in my genealogy toolbox.
So far, I have created three new tools that each have their own specific purpose. My goal was to keep each tool simple so that anyone can use them without a long learning curve. All are available at one location on my website.
Each tool is listed along with an example and a writeup and demonstration video. As of today, I have two placeholders for ideas on future tools that I hope to create.
I created separate articles and videos explaining how to use each tool. Each video is 6 to 12 minutes long, and I show how to enter data, use the tool features, and export your own personalized map. You can watch and read about each tool at the links below.
For each tool, everything happens inside your own browser. There is no account to make, nothing is uploaded, and no copy of your research is kept anywhere but on your own computer. Your work saves itself as you go, so you can close the page and pick it up tomorrow — and when you are ready to show someone, you download a single file that holds the finished map that is ready to share. There is nothing to install, nothing to sign up for.
Click the button below to give these tools a try.
Questions, thoughts, other mapping ideas? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
These are so fantastic, Jason! Wow!
This is incredible and very generous. It took me Mo the of researching and looking at census records and city directories to realize that two branches of a family were really neighbors.