Does
geography play a role in the history of war? The Military
Battles and Campaigns collection contains maps of major
United States military conflicts. These maps depict troop
movements, defense structures, battle routes, campsites,
local buildings, topography and vegetation. Some were hand
drawn on the battlefield, while others were engraved after
the battle ended. A study of the American
Revolution and Civil
War maps in this collection will give students a broader
understanding of the geographic aspects of these conflicts.
Featured Map: Using this 1862
map, lets explore how a military map might be used in
the classroom. Click on the caption below the map for extensive
bibliographic information. Click on the map itself to access
the zoom view. The details are amazing! What conflict is
depicted? Is this a Union or Confederate map? How can you
tell? Whose portraits are featured on the decorative border
outside the map? What is the historical significance of
the views around the map? This map contains several fascinating
tables and charts. Can you find a Table of Air-line Distances?
A list of Ports of Entry? The Races of Mankind? Prevailing
religions? What else? Locate the small map showing the distribution
of staples, plants, trees and animals. What crops were grown
in YOUR area at this time? Locate the 1860 Census on the
map. Can you find the population of YOUR state?
Learning More: Follow the links on the
right for a sampling of historic military maps. View the
Mapping the American Revolution and Its Era essay and the History
of Mapping of the Civil War presentation to learn more
about these collections. Students can use the graphic
organizer to analyze these maps.
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