Have you ever struggled to find Early Republic maps that are just right for students? You’re not alone! In this blog post, I tackle the challenge of finding student-friendly Early Republic maps for kids.
First, I’ll share some valuable tips for effectively using maps with your students. Then, I’ll give you links to five high-quality maps and worksheets for teaching about the Early Republic era.
In addition, I’ve formatted the maps and student worksheets in Google Slides to make them as easy to use as possible.
Let’s dive in with some tips for success!
Tips for Analyzing Early Republic Maps with Students
First, use online maps.
Maps have tiny details. By analyzing maps online, students have the option to zoom in. I recommend a map mini-lesson. Show students exactly how to make the map take up the full screen, zoom in, zoom out, and move around.
Since your students will be using a computer or tablet to view the maps, I’ve formatted the worksheets using Google Slides to make things easier.
Second, teach your students basic map skills.
The student worksheets include some map terms students are expected to know.
Before analyzing the maps, teach students about compass roses, legends, and scales. If you need help, these short videos are great:
Third, analyze the maps in a step-by-step way.
It’s easy for students to become overwhelmed when given a map and asked, “What does this map tell you about the Early Republic?”
I’ve found it’s better to have students:
- first, observe the map,
- then try to make sense of it,
- and finally, use it as historical evidence.
I’ve found the “Analyze a Map” worksheet from the National Archives to be a great resource. I like this worksheet because it breaks the analysis down into bite-sized pieces.
I have paired all 5 maps with it.
Finally, please don’t ask students to analyze ALL the maps in one lesson.
To make it easier for you, I have all the maps and worksheets in one presentation in Google Slides. However, I highly recommend analyzing a single map per lesson.
To do this, make a copy of the presentation. Then delete all the slides except for the map and worksheet for one lesson.
Here are 5 Early Republic Maps for Kids:
Map 1: Irish and German Settlement Maps
Description
These maps use census data to show where Irish and German immigrants lived in 1872. Shading shows the number of immigrants living in a unit of land area. Lighter shading is used for areas where fewer immigrants live. Darker shading is used for areas where many immigrants live.
Why I Chose this Map
During the 19th century, thousands of Irish and German immigrants moved to America. Their unique cultures had lasting impacts on American traditions. For example, Irish immigrants influenced American culture through their language. Many Irish phrases and words are still used today like:
- Clan: family
- Slew: a large number
- Galore: plenty or enough
In addition, Irish immigrants impacted American politics, food, holidays, and more!
German immigrants also changed the American way of life. One of these changes was in the education system. German immigrants introduced kindergarten and P.E. to public schools. Many also were outspoken in the push for universal education.
In addition, German immigrants impacted American weekends, food, holidays, and more!
Example Lesson Focus
Why and where did Irish and German immigrants settle in the U.S.? How did they impact American culture?
For more help teaching about German and Irish immigration, check out Lesson 12 of my Early Republic unit.
Map 2: Louisiana Purchase Description
In 1803, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson agreed to purchase the Louisiana Territory from the French for $15 million. This land, measuring over 828,000 square miles, almost doubled the current size of the United States.
This map shows the Louisiana Territory’s location. It also labels the modern-day states that were brought into the United States through the Louisiana Purchase.
Why I Chose this Map
This map shows the size of the Louisiana Territory and how it almost doubled the size of the United States. This event was significant to Jefferson’s presidency and helped him get re-elected.
In addition, this event had major impacts on Native Americans, Westward Expansion, and American slavery.
Example Lesson Focus
What modern-day states were part of the Louisiana territory? What was the impact of the Louisiana Purchase?
For more help teaching about Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, check out Lesson 4 of my Early Republic unit.
Map 3: A Map of the Cotton Kingdom by Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. (1862)
Description
This 1862 map shows two main ideas. First, it uses colors to show which areas of land produced the most cotton. Blue shows the most cotton production, yellow shows moderate cotton production, and red shows no or little cotton production.
Second, It uses horizontal lines to show the population of enslaved people in different areas. Full horizontal lines show that more enslaved people than free people lived there. Dotted horizontal lines show that a moderate number of enslaved people lived there. Areas without any horizontal lines had more free people living there than enslaved people.
This map was created by Frederick Law Olmsted, a landscape architect who is best known for co-designing New York City’s Central Park. Olmsted had traveled the South extensively before the Civil War. He opposed slavery for humanitarian and economic reasons.
During the Civil War, Union forces established a blockade of Confederate ports to prevent the export of cotton. This blockade threatened to starve the South of the money it needed to keep fighting.
Southerners tried to persuade the British to break the blockade, arguing that a Northern victory would result in the end of American slavery and a dramatic increase in the cost of cotton prices.
Northerners argued that ending slavery would not result in higher cotton prices. Olmsted’s goal was to show that the areas with the most enslaved people did not necessarily produce the most cotton. He hoped that this would help convince the British to continue blockading the South.
Why I Chose this Map
This map is an excellent introduction to the topic of the United State’s cotton economy. During the 18th and 19th centuries, cotton became a major cash crop in the United States. People worldwide wanted cotton – and the U.S. had the largest supply.
By 1850, cotton made up most of the United States’s exports. As a result, much of the country’s wealth was built upon the cotton industry. And the cotton industry was built on the backs of the enslaved Black Americans who labored to grow and harvest cotton.
The cotton economy brought great wealth the South. It also brought wealth to the North. New England factories and mills relied on millions of pounds of Southern cotton.
Historian Edward Baptist wrote, “All told, more than $600 million, or almost half of the economic activity in the United States in 1836, derived directly or indirectly from cotton produced by the million-odd slaves – 6 percent of the total U.S. population – who in that year toiled in labor camps on slavery’s frontier.”
Example Lesson Focus
Where was most American cotton produced? What was the impact of cotton on the U.S. economy, the world economy, and slavery?
For more help teaching about The Cotton Economy & Slavery, check out Lesson 11 of my Early Republic unit.
Map 4: War of 1812
Description
This map shows the location of major battles fought during the War of 1812. It also labels the areas that were American territory (in orange) and British territory (in green).
Why I Chose this Map
On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war against Great Britain and their Native American allies. Known as the War of 1812, the fighting lasted until February 18, 1815.
The war technically ended in a “draw.” Even so, Americans felt like they had won. There was a surge of patriotism throughout the country, and an “Era of Good Feelings” began. The war also brought more unity and nationalism to the country. Americans started to think of the United States as one proud, independent nation rather than a collection of individual states.
While the war may have been a “draw” for Great Britain and the United States, it was a tragic loss for Native Americans. The Battle of Horseshoe Bend was devastating for the Creek nation.
For the Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region, the death of their leader, Tecumseh, resulted in their British allies abandoning them. Tecumseh’s death also destroyed any future possibility of a Native American alliance system.
Example Lesson Focus
During the War of 1812, where did the major battles take place? What were the causes, events, and effects of the War of 1812?
For more help teaching about James Madison’s presidency and the War of 1812, check out Lesson 5 of my Early Republic unit.
Map 5: Tracking Railroad Growth in the U.S.
Description
This map shows the rapid growth of the railroads between 1870 and 1980. During these ten years, the amount of railroad tracks in the United States tripled.
Why I Chose this Map
The growth of railroads dramatically changed the United States. It made transportation safer and faster.
In addition, railroads made it possible to do business with more people across greater distances. Trains delivered goods faster than ever before. They brought products made in factories in the East to the rest of the country. Trains also carried farm produce and livestock to cities.
Example Lesson Focus
What other transportation methods were available to people wanting to travel from coast-to-coast in the 1800s? What were the causes and effects of the transportation revolution?
For more help teaching about the Industrial, Transportation, Communication, & Market Revolutions, check out Lesson 9 of my Early Republic unit.
Access the Free Early Republic Maps and Worksheets (Google Slides)
I’ve taken the “Analyze a Map” worksheet and formatted it with text boxes in Google Slides. I’ve also included links to each online map so your students can easily access them.
Click here to get the Google Slides for these Early Republic maps and worksheets.
Need more help teaching about the Early Republic?
Check out some other lessons and materials to keep your students learning about the Early Republic!
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