By Phil Nast, retired middle school teacher and freelance writer

Mapping History provides interactive and animated maps and modules illustrating historical information. There are 62 modules altogether, covering 5 broad categories of world history.

American History

American History modules (38 total) cover Native American culture, European exploration, colonialism, and important events.

• A highlight of this section is maps showing the progress of the American Civil War. For example, The Gettysburg Campaign (July 1-3, 1863) can be expanded to show troop movements over the three-day period with individual clicks or animated. Three graphs map epidemics and plot the incidence of cholera, polio, and diphtheria.

• Another good example is Life Expectancy 1850 – 2000. A set of graphs shows the increase in life expectancy for men and women from 1850-2000.

European History

European History modules (15 total) begin with the ancient world, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and modern nations.

• A highlight of this section is a series of maps on the Peasant Rebellions of early Modern Europe. One animated map of Britain 1756-1801 links the consumer price index, crop failures, and rioting.

Latin American History

Latin American History modules (4 total) cover political events and the involvement of European nations and the United States in the Caribbean and Central and South America from 1898-2000.

African History

African History modules (5 total) cover the 19th and 20th Centuries and focus on the development of European colonies and their transition to independent states.

• From Colonialism to Independence is an animated map color-coding statehood from before 1940 to 2000.