Volume 11:2—Maps from Illinois History: Resources for Teachers

"Illinois" could refer to a group of human beings, a particular portion of the earth's surface, or a tradition engendered by the events occurring there. Thus the name embraces the major elements of a social education—people, places, and times, furnishing excellent themes and materials for a social studies curriculum. In an atlas, however, the focus must be on place. Our interest here is in an area that has been called the state of Illinois since 1818, and before that was known as the Illinois Country. But we must not lose sight of the people and their experiences that animate all maps. People, their perception, and their culture always create the sense of place.

Maps from Illinois History offers a series of old maps, in chronological order, to tell the story of human occupation of the state. Most of the maps were made at a particular time in the past, making them "primary sources," to borrow the historian's vocabulary. But other maps are also needed to develop the geographic context and to explore the current situation. The collection here serves as a resource for educators, especially those teaching geography, history, the social studies, and the humanities who wish to include an Illinois dimension in their teaching.

This presentation of maps naturally divides into six major sections. "The Geographic Setting" is followed by a section on "The Illinois Country 1673-1787" dating from the first contact between Indian peoples and European explorers until the area was organized as part of the Northwest Territory. "Illinois in the Pioneer Period, 1787-1832," starts with the transition from territory to state and ends with the last "big event" in the process of displacing the Native American population: the Black Hawk War of 1832.

The next section, "The Era of Canals and Railroads, 1832-1930s," brings the story up into the twentieth century, covering the period when canals and railroads organized the lives of the people of the United States. "Automobile State, 1920-2000," overlaps with the previous one, exploring the automobile age in Illinois, 1920-1960.

The final section, "Illinois: Yesterday and Today, 1960-," looks at Illinois into the twenty-first century using census data to review the current developments. This section concludes with some suggestions for using a recent state road map to explore the state in a classroom setting.

A brief commentary accompanies each map, providing some background explaining why the map was chosen before proceeding to a regular section on "Reading the Map." Next, the text suggests ways that students can work with the map, "Working with the Map" gets to the heart of the matter; how to make the map come alive as the reader actively engages it, manipulating the sheet of paper in some way.

The simple verb "work," in its many connotations, seems to express so well the multiple aspects of the learning process. First, note the word's basic definition: "to fashion or create a useful product by expending labor." Then reflect a bit on some of its secondary meanings: to decorate, to set in motion, to solve, to guide the operation of an object, to arrange, to excite or provoke, to work on or to influence, and finally, to succeed. Success in map reading, in the final analysis, must be measured by the extent these sheets are transformed into documents, things that teach us about ourselves, our place, and the experiences of those who lived here before us.

The final section of each commentary speaks to the teacher, offering some suggestions for pedagogy, student projects, and further reading to develop the themes presented. In "Teaching the Map," these hints are usually sketchy in nature, just simple starting points. In a few cases, student worksheets follow the teacher's notes. Again, these only point out some possibilities and need to be adapted and refined to meet the individual requirements of each specific classroom. Like the maps themselves, please consider these suggestions as starting points rather than finished products.

Special thanks are due to the board of consultants. Many of the ideas presented here came from their suggestions. Since I did not follow these verbatim, these consultants must be absolved of the mistakes and shortcomings that remain. The collegial effort has increased the potential of the atlas to be a useful resource for teachers. I appreciate the careful reading of early drafts and the thoughtful suggestions made by this group of dedicated teachers representing many aspects of the profession. One name to be added to the list, with much appreciation, is Alan Evans, a former research assistant at University of Illinois at Chicago who is now a master teacher in his own right.

Maps have a wonderful ability to inform us about our world and our past. But, at the end, they also teach us about ourselves, especially our capacity to wonder. If these maps push young people to inquire, to speculate, to be amazed, and, yes, even to ponder and meditate, to this extent we have been successful. Reese, Drake, Maggie, Alisa, Kyle, Aaron, and Ashley, my special students, these maps are for you. And for you also my colleagues and friends.

Sincerely,

Gerald A. Danzer Professor of History, Emeritus
University of Illinois at Chicago

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