Awakening
“The Awakening” was created by Henry Mayer in 1915. It is considered one of the most striking of the ‘suffrage maps,’ which played a major role in the successful fight for women’s suffrage in the U.S. 

“This is a collection of ‘persuasive’ cartography: ​more than 800 ​ maps intended primarily to influence opinions or beliefs – to send a message – rather than to communicate geographic information. The collection reflects a variety of persuasive tools ​, including​ allegorical, satirical and pictorial mapping; selective inclusion; unusual use of projections, color, graphics and text; and intentional deception. Maps in the collection address a wide range of messages: religious, political, military, commercial, moral and social.” SOURCE: Cornell University Library

This is a fantastic collection of historical maps.  I especially enjoy the rhetorical and overtly persuasive quality of the maps in this collection.  Too often, we assume that maps convey data and information from a strictly neutral position.  Just like every news article, how the information in a map is arranged, selected, and framed is helpful in evaluating the usefulness, important, and accuracy of the information that is being presented.

GeoEd Tags: cartography, visualization, mapping, art.