Fantastic Find: Data Visualization: Journalism's Voyage West

Paul G. Nauta's blog "The Future of Technology and Genealogy" for FamilySearch Blog last week mentions a very cool map from Stanford University's Rural West Initiative Bill Lane Center for the American West, based on Library of Congress (LOC) Chronicling America newspaper project data***.

The site is Data Visualization: Journalism's Voyage West

The interface begins with the disclaimer that it is inevitable that some newspapers were omitted and some duplicated in count.  However, I think this site is a great way to visualize the populating of the United States.  It could be very useful discovering what newspapers may have existed for certain areas in certain times.

The red arrow shows Boston as the lone location for recorded newspapers in the 1690's.

Newspapers extant at the end of the French and Indian War, and the year of the Treaty of Paris.

Newspapers on the eve of the American Revolution.

The steamboat had begun its reign and Thomas Jefferson was President.

On the eve of the California Gold Rush.  BTW here is an interesting link on American antebellum newspapers.

On the eve of the American Civil War.  Notice how many more were published in the North compared to the South.

The modern newspaper landscape. 

*** The data comes from the Library of Congress' "Chronicling America" project, which maintains a regularly updated directory of newspapers.

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