In this unusual map, one pictorial image -- an eagle -- was superimposed on a map of the United States. The author of the accompanying geography book stated that the map was designed to serve as a memory device for young students learning the country's geography and history. He explained that the eagle was selected for its visual and iconic appeal. The author also made the point that secession could disfigure this national icon, suggesting that the map was intended to promote unity at a time when political debates about tariffs, slavery, and states' rights were part of the national discourse.
Relief shown pictorially.
Shows the image of an eagle superimposed on the United States.
"Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1832 by J. Churchman in the Clerk's Office of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania."
From Joseph Churchman's Rudiments of national knowledge : presented to the youth of the United States, and to enquiring foreigners. Philadelphia : E.L. Carey & A. Hart, 1833.
Notes (exhibitions):
Exhibited: "Unconventional Maps: Exploring the Stories of Cartographic Curiosities" organized by the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library, 2011-2012.
Exhibited: "Back to School: Geography in the Classroom" organized by the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library, 2014-2015.
IIIF Manifest