Adding Context
To answer the question of how the spread of Methodism was affected by the frontier, we need additional pieces of information. Census data regarding population density provides a helpful way to determine whether the places frequented by Methodist itinerants were indeed on the edges of established society. Fortunately, other have worked to convert historical census information into digital format and have created resources for finding this type of information.
The University of Virginia Library has compiled historical census data by historical that is openly available for use.[1] Unfortunately, the data is only exportable in PDF format, and so cannot be easily layered into a map. However, there is enough information here that one could recreate the data source in order to add the information to another map.
While the census information is not available in an exportable format, information regarding historic counties is. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries provides downloadable KML files of its information, which allowed me to gain a sense of how Lorenzo's travels corresponded to those divisions.
I was able to layer some of the information using GoogleEarth. This program was the only one of the free services that was able to open and display (without crashing) the large KML file of county information that is made available by the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.[2] Using GeoCommons, I was also able to export my data about Lorenzo in a KML file, which made it easier to import it into GoogleEarth. In comparing this image with the one above, it does not appear that Lorenzo focused his efforts in the least populated areas. Instead, the evenness of his approach suggests another guiding principle.
[2]http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/statepages/Virginia.html
One important piece of information for tracing Lorenzo's travels through the state is the route he took. However, this proved to be very difficult to create using the available mapping tools. While ArcGIS onlined allowed for the creation of a manually created layer, this was not a viable solution given the number of points and the sporaticness of Lorenzo's path. This image was created using GoogleMaps and manually entering his stops into a request for directions. While not a sufficent solution, the image does begin to reveal that Lorenzo pursued a zig-zagging path up and down the state. Such an approach, while not efficient, would allow him to reach the greatest number of people.
Census data and historical counties, however, are only a few of the pieces needed to work on the puzzle of Methodism. While I make no claims that this is an extensive list, to begin to answer the question of how the frontier connects to the spread of Methodism, the following additional pieces of information are needed:
- Location of existing cities and their populations.
- Location of churches, Methodist and not.
- Information regarding the "circuits" that Methodist itinerants, Dow excluded, were assigned to.
In addition, all of the information needs to be gathered for a larger geographic area. Because of the amount of information needed in order to begin asking the larger historical questions, applying geospatial analysis to historical questions is a daunting task.