Bonus: We Are One: Mapping America’s Road from Revolution to Independence

by Liz CovartMay 8, 2015

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New-Nation-1784 — Jean Lattré (1743–1793) Carte des Etats-Unis de l’Amerique suivant le Traité de Paix de 1783. Paris, 1784. Engraving, hand colored, 22.5 x 30.5 inches. Norman B. Leventhal Map Center.

What can maps tell us about the past?

How do they affect the way we view events such as the American Revolution?

The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library has a new, traveling exhibition called We Are One: Mapping America’s Road from Revolution to Independence.

We Are One seeks to change the way we look at and explore the tumultuous events that led 13 colonies to break away from Great Britain and forge a new nation.

Michelle LeBlanc, Director of Education and Public Programming at the Leventhal Map Center joins us to explore maps as historical documents and this amazing new exhibit.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with an historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Episode Summary

John Donowell (fl. 1753-1786) and Anthony Walker (1726-1765) An Elevation, Plan and History of the Royal Exchange of London. London, 1761-1786. Engraving, 13.5 x 9.25 inches. Norman B. Leventhal Map Center.

We Are One: Mapping America’s Road from Revolution to Independence encourages us to explore the tumultuous events that led 13 colonies to forge a new nation.

In today’s episode, Michelle LeBlanc, the Director of Education and Public Programming at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library, leads us on an exploration of this amazing exhibit.

During our conversation, Michelle reveals how we can use maps to discover information about the past; information about how the maps in We Are One portray the 13 North American colonies and the British Empire; And, details about the rare objects, maps, and digital tools contained within the exhibition.

Michelle also shares the different ways you can view We Are One, which include future exhibition dates at Colonial Williamsburg and the New-York Historical Society and an online exhibition.

What You’ll Discover

Information about Michelle’s work as the Director of Public Programming and Education at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library
Brief overview of the history of the Boston Public Library
Details about the Leventhal Map Center and its collections
Information about the traveling exhibition We Are One: Mapping America’s Road from Revolution to Independence
How maps can affect how we view the American Revolution
How we can read maps to discover information about the past
How 18th-century maps situated the British North American colonies within the British Empire
How mapmakers added the humanity of the French and Indian War into their maps
How portrayals of North America and the British Empire changed during the American Revolution and War for Independence
Reasons why cartographers drew maps
When the first maps of an independent United States began to appear
Details about the imagery early American cartographers used on their maps of the United States that proclaimed elements of their new American identity
Rare objects and maps contained in the We Are One Exhibition
Interactive, digital tools contained within exhibition
The story of the George Washington medal of honor (1789)
Information about the Leventhal Map Center’s Teacher Workshops concerning maps and the American Revolution
Additional dates and destinations where you can view the We Are One traveling exhibition

Samuel Blodget (1724-1807) A Prospective View of the Battle Fought near Lake George. London, 1756. Engraving, hand colored, 10.5 x 20.5 inches. Courtesy of Richard H. Brown Collection. — Samuel Blodget (1724-1807)
A Prospective View of the Battle Fought near Lake George.
London, 1756. Engraving, hand colored, 10.5 x 20.5 inches.
Courtesy of Richard H. Brown Collection.

Links to People, Places, and Publications

Time Warp Question

In your opinion what might have happened if the British Army had not had the access to maps that it had? Do you think the lack of maps would have changed the course of the War for Independence?