Digital Map Collection

During the mid-19th century, California (which became a U.S. state in 1850) saw a period of explosive population growth and economic boom. The settlement of California can be envisioned spatially through this collection of 700 California maps, dating primarily to the mid-1800s.

In addition, this website presents more than 5,000 maps (primarily from the 19th and 20th centuries) covering other parts of the world, including Portugal, Kenya, Hong Kong, Iraq, and hundreds of other nations or territories. These include topographic, nautical, transportation, and thematic maps as well as aerial photographs. The maps are very high quality, and many are equipped with zoom functions allowing for close exploration of map details. Bibliographic information, including date and author, is always provided, rendering these maps useful as historical sources. Though the website is difficult to navigate and the search engine is finicky, this resource will be especially useful to those interested in high quality, historical maps, as well as California’s early years as part of the United States.

Read a more in-depth review of Digital Map Collection written by David J. Bodenhamer of Indiana University.

Or explore other website reviews at History Matters.