I figured after being so gushy about the My Maps option from Google I ought to make a good example.
So here is a good start on a territorial acquisition map of the United States of America. I did it free hand based on a number of different maps I found on wikipedia and a few other places- so it’s not perfect and it still needs some work but I think it shows what you can do with little effort. Yes, I promise the writing will improve :).
The map took about 45 minutes or so to make. Most of that time was spent looking at various maps. I also increased my speed after I figured out I could move points in polygons after I finished rather than having to start all over.
I also made a quick screencast covering the basics of the My Maps tools.
Great map. I added it to Ongopongo.com