The Library of Congress has launched a brand new animated map, America at a Look, that allows you to actually watch the nation develop
At its core, the map is a strong academic useful resource, permitting you to click on on any level to entry the foundational authorized paperwork that established, admitted, or included that state or territory. A lot of the authorized content material is drawn from the Library’s huge Statutes at Massive assortment.
However the true magic for map fanatics is the timeline function. Press play on the map’s timeline management and you’ll observe an animation of america increasing primarily based on the official date every state was admitted to the Union. If you happen to love historic maps then click on on a state. It will open a pop-up window showcasing classic maps from the Library’s Geography & Map Division, alongside details about when the state was admitted into the Union.
The Library of Congress’ animated map exhibits how america unfold westward throughout North America. Because the nation expanded, over time, the imply inhabitants middle of america has additionally shifted to the west. America Census Bureau’s map Imply Heart of Inhabitants for america: 1790 to 2020 visualizes this journey by plotting the geographic stability level of the nation’s inhabitants for each census 12 months since 1790, demonstrating a transparent, corresponding drift to the west (and barely south) that parallels the territorial progress.
