Exhibition Title: Mapping Manifest Destiny: Chicago and the American West
Exhibition Dates: November 3, 2007 - February 16, 2008
Overview: Mapping Manifest Destiny: Chicago and the American West examines the role of maps in envisioning the American West -- documenting its terrain, fixing its boundaries, exploiting its natural resources, and developing its land. The exhibition, featuring more than 60 historic maps and views from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries, will explore the range of motivations for creating, distributing, and using maps of the American West.
The exhibition will begin with a look at maps with overtly political incentives, from European colonial ambitions to American consolidation and nationhood. It will continue with maps created specifically to document and educate Americans about the United States and its resources. The exhibition concludes with a section devoted to maps that were ultimately used to lay claim to, exploit, and promote commercial interests throughout the West. Highlights of the exhibition include original maps drawn by George Washington, Lewis and Clark, and John Charles Fremont, along with maps used by railroad tycoons, gold speculators and the early tourists to the region.
During this journey through time, Chicago emerges first as a dot on the map, then a bustling metropolis, and subsequently a major center for the production of American maps. Drawing on the Newberry's renowned map collections, Mapping Manifest Destiny: Chicago and the West offers a fresh lens through which to understand the crucial role maps played in the building of a nation.
Location:
The Newberry Library
60 W. Walton Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
Phone Numbers: (312) 255-3700 (General Inquiries); (312) 255-3625 (Media)
Admission: Free. Visit www.newberry.org or call (312) 255-3700 for details.
Public Programs: The Newberry Library is offering a variety of public programs to complement the exhibition. For up-to-date information visit www.newberry.org or call (312) 255-3700.
Companion Book: Mapping Manifest Destiny: Chicago and the American West, the catalog of an exhibition at the Newberry Library, November 3, 2007 - February 16, 2008, with an analytical essay by Michael P. Conzen. This lavishly illustrated catalog examines the role of maps in envisioning the American West -- documenting its terrain, fixing its boundaries, exploiting its natural resources, and developing its land. Like the exhibition, the book features more than 65 historic maps and views ranging from the sixteenth century into the twentieth century, all meticulously documented and interpreted. The catalog explores the persuasive role of maps in opening the West and developing its resources, paying special attention to the emergence of Chicago as the center of American mapmaking. Published by the Newberry Library.