Antique Maps of The United States - Georgia CD
	Examine the history of the state of Georgia through some of the best maps produced at the height of the Civil War. View the progress of the War and the state through this antique collection of masterful charts and drawings.

Five years after the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the US Constitution. A decade later, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin near Savannah. This historic invention served as a clarion call to settlers and land companies who were soon making a beeline for the state. Cotton farming became immensely popular. Farmers who settled on Georgia's rich virgin farmlands, prospered. By 1840 Georgia had begun developing an extensive railway system to help ferry both men and farm produce.

Since the economy of Georgia was largely dependent on cultivating cotton, farmers relied heavily on slave labor. Abraham Lincoln's election as President of the United States was seen as a threat to the well established slave trade and practice, and ultimately, to Georgia's prosperity. Not surprisingly, Governor Joseph E. Brown declared his intentions of withdrawing his state's support to the Union. Thus began a bloody war between the Union States and the Confederates, with Georgia in the forefront of the War.

The celebrations following Confederate victory over the Union at Chickamauga in September 1863 were short lived. The following May, Union forces under the leadership of General William T. Sherman captured Chickamauga. Sherman's forces then proceeded to burn Atlanta and press on to the coast. In their wake, they left a trail of utter destruction. The loss was estimated at a colossal $100 million in property. The Union soldiers cut a path 60 miles wide, destroying all factories, mills, public buildings and railroads. The troops carried few supplies, and lived off the land. They looted the countryside, stealing food and other property from the plantations and towns.

The historic maps on this CD recount the many battles that Georgia witnessed during the Civil War, and reconstruct the story of how the state finally evolved into the shape and size that we are familiar with today.

Sample thumbnails taken from the collection. Click on image to view larger picture.

This CD contains 80+ high resolution Maps of the State of Georgia drawn by master artists between 1837 and 1908. Headers and historical notes provided with each map offer valuable guidelines in understanding the contents of the maps and also their relevance in respect of the Civil War. The ability to zoom in and out enables a detailed study of each of the 80 masterpieces found in this CD. Handcrafted to perfection, these maps provide a detailed study of the state and include its political, demographic and relief features.

EDITORIAL REVIEW:

One of the most thrilling historic records of the state of Georgia is found in the early maps that cartographers painstakingly crafted from the meager data and means available to them. Preserved by state archives and the Library of Congress, these maps have survived turbulent passages of history. Today these charts are as valuable as their contents and provide an in-depth study of the progress of the Civil war. Drawn to scale by some of the best mapmakers of the time, the maps provide fabulous insight into relief and political status of Georgia over the 19th century.

Putting these antique and priceless maps on CD is certainly a stroke of genius. Most of these maps date back to the Civil War era, indicating locations of important military installations and positions of troops. Later maps include excellent surveys of cities such as Atlanta, providing an invaluable peek at the city's early layout. They also encapsulate the dreams of city planners and other government agencies. These maps rate among the best cartographic creations available from the period, making this CD a true collector's item.

The exhaustive detail etched into each of the 80 drawings more than makes up for the lack of ornate borders and colorful shades. What's more, you have a fabulous textual support thrown in as bonus, thus helping you associate the drawings with historical places, events and dates. This is cartography at its best and history buffs would do well to add this compilation of masterful drawings to their collection.

CUSTOMER'S REVIEWS:

"Our family hails from Georgia and we have watched this CD with great interest as Georgia means a lot to us. The maps shown here are detailed, artistic and informative. A2ZCDS have surely put in hours of solid research into compiling such an exhaustive and historically significant set of maps, which are invaluable both for their content as well as their antiquity."

Customer's Name: Benjamin Newton (New Ark, New Jersey)