ESSAY · MAPS · NIGHTINGALE

The Gilded Age map that shines a light on America's past and present

I found John F. Smith’s 1888 map “Historical Geography” while researching Du Bois, and it’s hard not to be shocked by it. Two trees grow from two colonies: Jamestown as the root of slavery, Plymouth as the root of liberty and the Bible. Decoding it says a lot about the stories America has told itself, then and now.

← All ideas