These United States A Pictorial History of Our American Heritage

A bright and optimistic look at America’s past and future.

Drawn by Robert Hyde de Grange and published by the Pictorial Map Company of Chicago in 1949, this map showcases the rich historical composition of the United States of America. The central image features the 48 states outlined in bright colors; most of which contain at least one illustration and text related to a historic person, location, or event. Several trails that were formative in the settlement and expansion of the U.S. are also individually labeled.

The territorial growth is further explored in an inset map in the lower left, which emphasizes the sequential, almost inevitable design of Manifest Destiny. An additional inset map in the upper right corner uses simple statistics to highlight the drastic change in travel time across the country over a roughly 100 year period. A timeline at the bottom of the sheet covers highlights across a much broader span; from the first discovery of the New World in the 15th century up until the Atomic Age, on the verge of 1950.