National Geographic Historical Atlas of the United States

The Historical Atlas of the United States tells the story of the moments, people, and places that propelled forward the formation of what we know as modern America, providing a vital insight to understanding America today. Beginning in 1450, it will highlight-in chronological order-landmark events through our nation's history, from the Revolutionary War to the Pony Express, from the Civil War to Matthew Brady and daguerrotypes, from World War II to Superman's first comic, from the Vietnam War to the first test tube baby. Each moment in history will be covered in two pages of text (two spreads for larger stories such as WWII, etc.) and will be accompanied by a critical image, a sidebar that gives sharp focus to one aspect of the moment, and, in most cases, a map: some created by the great cartographers of history such as Lewis and Clark, many by the unparalleled cartographic staff of National Geographic Books. The text will tell the stories of these events and people in readable prose that makes the past accessible. The atlas will be divided into 6 sections: 1450-1750, 1750-1800, 1800-1850, 1850-1900, 1900-1950, 1950-present. Each section will begin with a comprehensive timeline, allowing a sense of the broader scope of the period's events and an introduction to the chronology of the section. The selected events will be highlighted, acting as a table of contents for the section.