Nations started using maps as tools of power since the age of exploration. This map created a sense of American pride among the inhabitants and it shows the potential power of America. Seeing oneself on this map made one feel like an important part of the nation which increased a sense of pride among Americans. Where someone lives is just as much a part of their identity as their name, especially in early America (Schulten). Women, children, and slaves were accounted for and have a place on this map. At a time when only white, adult males were able to vote, this map does not exclusively show them. The reader cannot differentiate the number of slaves in a particular area because of this particular choice. Notice, the map does not have a different color for a particular group of people it maps the total population. Census counted white males over the age of 16, white males under the age of 16, white females, and slaves (“1790 Population Map”). This map created an American voice while silencing the voice of the Native Americans (Bruckner). The map blatantly states that it excludes non-taxed Indians. Harley, “maps-just as much as examples of literature or the spoken word- exert a social influence through their omissions as much as by their features they depict and emphasize”(Harley). What the author chooses to leave out is called a silence. This map motivated Americans to claim the West and spread their presence throughout the world.Ī map cannot possibly include everything one may want it to. As the country began to grow accumulate more land and people, it established a uniquely American identity and drive that would later carry through the country’s international relations. In early American history, the continent was their identity (Schulten). A map such as this, created a desire to explore and tame the rugged land and to conquer every corner of the country. One of the main responsibilities of the Department of the Interior was the “exploration of western wilderness” (“History of the Interior”). All this territory belonged to the United States and an American citizen looking at this map could see the endless possibilities of the frontier. Not only does the map show densely populated areas, it unveils the never ending wilderness to the left. The densest areas (mostly coastal areas) are indicated by a dark shade of brown and the color lightens as it travels west and the population becomes less dense. The Department of the Interior put together maps that showed population density with this information. The first census of the United States was collected in 1790. The Population of the United States map proves that a map of one nation can have an impact on the way America potentially behaves internationally. The map, along with its necessary silences, is an early example of the young nation showcasing its potential power.
However, this map does exclude certain groups, such as the Native Americans. Maps like these provide a sense of identity as an American citizen. This was the first time Americans were able to pinpoint exactly where they were on the map while also showcasing the uncivilized western territory. This approach involves a little work, but avoids the vagaries of looking for a prepared dataset or map, which may be out-of-date or based on data other than census 2010 or the 2014 July 1st estimates.How could a map exclusively of the United States shape national identity and American international relations? The Department of the Interior’s map of the population of the United States shows the population density of 1790. In rendering the map you can normalize total population by area to produce an up-to-date map. Retrieve the result table and working in ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro, join it to your shapefile (I would recommend file-based geodatabase as a more robust option for storing the counties or block groups). A guided search will have you find county-level population estimates in a first step and in a second step, allocation to "All counties. Both are available from the census bureau's web site. (2) I would recommend the American Communities Survey (ACS) data if you want recent data you can cite (at this date probably the July 1st estimates for 2014, I have not checked to see if the 2015 estimates are available as yet)-unless there is a requirement that you use PL data from the 2010 census. You can retrieve shapefiles or geodatabase layers from that resource. (1) You can get the geography data from the census bureau's pages, visit and look for block groups, and counties for New York.