How do we recognize the important historical milestones as our country approaches its 250th birthday? Special Collections and the History and Geography Department have found a unique way to answer that question through a new digital exhibit launching July 4.  

The Mapping a Nation exhibit tells the story of the country through a collection of maps spanning from 1776 to the present. Each of these maps was chosen by a student, faculty member, donor, or history enthusiast, along with a short reflection on what the map shows and why it stood out to them. 

The idea for the exhibit started when Dr. Imre Demhardt proposed building a digital collection featuring one map for each decade of American history.  

"We wanted a mix of voices," Madeline Lowry, Garrett Family Cartographic Archivist, said. "Each person brings a different perspective to the map they chose. That's what makes this exhibit so unique."

That variety in the exhibit shows up in the maps themselves. Some maps document national turning points, wars, expansions, or political shifts. Other maps reflect everyday life at a particular moment, such as how people moved, communicated, or experienced entertainment. 

"It's not just about big events. It's also about the things that define a decade differently, like a map of television networks in the 1950s or even a theme park map from the 1980s," Dr. Kimberly Breuer, Associate Professor of Instruction with the History and Geography Department, said. "Those details help us understand what life felt like at that time." 

Lowry stated that while the exhibit lives online, the original maps are preserved in Special Collections and available to view in person.   

 "It's an opportunity to connect not only with the stories these maps tell, but with the materials themselves. What's exciting is seeing how different people interpret the same material," Lowry said. "A single map can mean different things depending on who chooses it and what they notice. That's where storytelling really happens." 

Libraries' staff members are currently working to digitize each map. When complete, it can be viewed online through MavMatrix, UTA's institutional repository and archival hub.  

The digital exhibit launches online on July 4; it will give people the opportunity to learn about different parts of the American story they might be unfamiliar with through 26 maps crafted by individuals who helped shape our history.