Thanks for linking my tutorials, Zack! :-)

QGIS doesn't provide its own data sources, it's just a tool for visualization. The US gov't has tons of free map data available via http://nationalatlas.gov/ and the USGS (+ http://nationalmap.gov/ ) -- everything from high-res satellite images and elevation maps to vector shapefiles, and not just of the US. Most states also provide their own detailed shapefiles, often with extremely specific purposes (I stumbled across "abandoned mines of New Jersey" earlier today). OpenStreetMap data is also free to use, although can be inconsistently detailed, and Natural Earth is great for public domain global sets. All of these can be imported into QGIS and combined in various ways, customized then exported as PDF for animation purposes.

Best,