September 12, 2008

'Cinematic' Maps Give Historical Context to Presidential Election

By JEFFREY R. YOUNG

Borrowing a technique from Hollywood, historians at the University of Richmond have created animated maps that chart voting patterns in U.S. presidential elections since 1840.

The set of maps (at http://www.americanpast.org/voting) show county-by-county data for every presidential election year in which data are available. The information shifts over time. One map, for example, should catch the eyes of supporters of John McCain and Barack Obama as they gear up for a close-fought

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