Primary Source: “One World, One War” Map drawn by Richard Harrison
Join Daniel Immerwahr as he explores maps made during World War II and shows how maps changed as people’s sense of the world changed. As he puts it, “We usually see maps as photographs of the world…But cartographers, or mapmakers, make choices…and those choices tell us something.” After watching the video above, students can explore the maps, including the “One World, One War” map by Richard Edes Harrison, featured in the video.
Guided Discussion Questions
- What kinds of choices do cartographers make while they’re making maps? How do these choices change the way a map looks?
- Check out some of the additional maps linked below, and compare the ways that the mapmakers use color, illustrations, and space to impact your perception. What differences do you notice in the choices of different mapmakers?
- How does the “One World, One War” map reflect changing perceptions of the world during World War II?
Additional Online Primary Sources
- Check out other wartime maps by Richard Edes Harrison.
- The David Rumsey Map Collection is a great resource for students. Explore some of the other maps you find there.
- This collection of persuasive maps from Cornell University is helpful, too.
Recommended Online Reading
- You can also read an article by Susan Schulten for The New Republic about Richard Edes Harrison and one by Prof. Immerwahr for Mother Jones about the “One World, One War” map.