I really enjoyed working with StoryMap Js because it allowed me to better visualize the movements of Joseph Lingard throughout his life, in reference to his memoir. These maps not only reveal where Joseph traversed geographically but also reveals the new perspectives that Joseph may have gained in his travels. Specifically, Bodenhamer speaks to this point when he writes, “We see space as the platform for multiplicity, a realm where all perspectives are particular and dependent upon experiences unique to an individual, a community, or a period of time” (Bodenhamer,14). Also, by following where Joesph traveled and physically plotting those points on a map, I was able to gain insight as to not only the final destinations of his travel but was able to see the locations in which he may have also crossed through on his journey. Bodenhamer explains, “[Spaces] are not passive settings but the medium for the development of culture. All spaces contain embedded stories based on what has happened there” (Bodenhamer, 16). Creating the map also helped me to better untangle Joseph’s story and easily follow his movements over an extended period of time, in this case, his entire life. More generally, maps and spatial thinking can help us to untangle history and allow us to better visualize movements over time. I have certainly learned that maps and spatial thinking play a crucial role in sorting out the complexities of history to result in a firm understanding of what actually happened in certain locations.
When creating my own map, I found it difficult. The first challenge was trying to determine what points to plot. I did not think there were many specific locations explicitly mentioned in my memoir. But with a closer reading of my memoir, I was able to extract some locations which I was able to plot. The next challenge was finding a map that included the locations of the places that I desired to plot. After some extensive searching, I was able to locate a map that included almost all of the locations I wanted to plot in the David Rumsey Collection. Then, I was able to pinpoint Joseph’s birthplace, his encounter with Brethren Bohler at Brassington, the Congregation at Fulneck, as well as Dukinfield, where Joseph passes away. As Bodenhamer puts it, “[Mapping] promises an alternate view of history and culture through dynamic representation of memory and place, a view that is visual and experiential, fusing qualitative and quantitative data within real and conceptual space” (Bodenhamer, 29).
I have linked my StoryMap JS here
Samantha is currently a sophomore Markets, Innovation, and Design major in the Freeman College of Management at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. At Bucknell, Samantha works as a Student Development Officer for the Student Calling Program and is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Women in Finance, and is treasurer for the Chi Mu Chapter of Chi Omega Sorority. She graduated from the Morristown-Beard School in Morristown, New Jersey in June 2017. Samantha resides in Harding, New Jersey and during the summer, Samantha works at Basking Ridge Country Club.