A Map Historical and Biographical Chart of the United States
At left is Ramsay’s map of the new nation, accompanied by his attempt to “chart” the American past since 1607, directly inspired by the timelines of Joseph Priestley.
Chapter 1: The Graphic Foundations of American History
After the Revolution, historical maps became one of the most common and appealing ways to cultivate national loyalty in young Americans. Here you can trace the origin of historical atlases and timelines, and the spread of graphic illustrations of national history.
Henshaw was a student at the Middlebury Female Academy, and her journal reveals much about contemporary lessons in geography and penmanship.
Here Henshaw traced a map of Virginia to practice penmanship and learn geography.
Alongside each hand-drawn state map, Henshaw visually rendered a description of each state to inscribe it in her memory.
Henshaw’s picture of Kentucky indicates that she was taught to arrange material geographically, the same spatial approach to learning promoted by Emma Willard.
This map opened one of the first historical atlases of America, created by the noted educator Emma Willard. Note that she marked not just the location of tribes, but their migration over time.
Willard’s second map in the atlas marked the earliest voyages to America, and took pains to represent change over time. Note the inclusion of failed voyages and settlements..
In her final map of the historical atlas, Willard proudly asserted the admission of new states in the trans-Mississippi west, and detailed the transfer of territory from native tribes to the Union.
Large and detailed depictions like this were popular in schools and homes; note the depiction of landscapes and “female costumes” to represent geography.
This broadside also attempted to capture a wide range of information, including world topography, and graphs that charted world chronology and the lives of distinguished men.
Willard designed this comprehensive “picture of nations” to capture the advent of different civilizations, from the beginnings of recorded history down to her own day.
Willard designed this graphic to teach the relationship between geography and history: the ceiling marks individuals, coordinated by pillars of time and the growth of nations on the floor.
In the American edition, Willard drew the outline of the continental nation as the backdrop, and asked students to detail the nation’s history and geography on the floor, ceiling, and pillars.
Willard used a tree to depict American history as a unified whole even as the nation was descending into Civil War. Though designated a history of the “U. States,” it begins with Columbus.
Dalston’s chart is a variation on Emma Willard’s tree of time, and detailed early growth in the roots out to recent developments in the branches. Note the stages of social progress.
Frances Henshaw, Title Page to her Book of Penmanship
Map of Virginia
Descriptive Picture of Virginia
Descriptive Picture of Kentucky
Emma Willard, “Introductory” Map of American History
Emma Willard, “First” Map of American History
Emma Willard, “Ninth” Map of American History
The World at One View
Pictorial View of the World
Perspective Sketch of the Course of the Empire
The Temple of Time
American Temple of Time
Chronographical Plan of Willard’s History of the United States
Chronological Chart of American History