How We Acquired Our National Territory

A colorful history of America’s continental acquisitions.

“This is the absorbing story of how our country acquired the territory it now has, from the earliest days of its history up to the recent acquisition of naval and air bases along the Atlantic Coast and in the Caribbean.” – Text, lower center.

This eye-catching map of the United States was designed by William H. Wisener and published in the September 20, 1942 issue of Robert R. McCormick’s Chicago Tribune. America’s acquisition of new naval bases and its recent entry into World War II resulted in a popular re-assessment of our national history. The chronological development from the 13 Colonies to the realization of Manifest Destiny is presented as a bloodless march of conquest that took less than a century to complete. Various colors highlight the ‘Original Sovereignties’, with the notable omission of any indigenous tribes whatsoever.