1833 Sophia Woods Schoolgirl Manuscript Map of the United States

Beautifully drawn early American schoolgirl map.

A very attractive and finely executed 1833 schoolgirl map of the United States, drawn by Massachusetts resident Sophia Woods. This is one of the few maps that prominently names Little Rock as 'Arkopolis' (here, Akarkoplos).

A Closer Look

The map embraces the United States in the post-Louisiana Purchase - Pre-Mexican American War Era, extending from the Oregon Territory just beyond the Rocky Mountains to the Eastern Seaboard and from Lake Superior to southern Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. The source map is unclear, but the curious and prominent naming of Little Rock, in the Arkansas Territory, as Arkopolis (Arakololis) gives us a hint, as this name appeared on very few maps. This name rarely appeared exclusively on maps, leading us to believe the source may have been Amos Lay's 1828 wall map of the United States, a product that would not have been uncommon in schoolrooms of the period.

Arkopolis?

Arkopolis emerged in the years following the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812, when refugees and displaced settlers from the Mississippi River valley sought more stable ground inland. Many were drawn to the elevated site at the 'little rock' on the Arkansas River, where a new settlement began to take shape. In the years surrounding the creation of Arkansas Territory in 1819, competing groups of settlers, speculators, and promoters laid out rival town plans on what was essentially the same ground. One of these was Arkopolis, a name applied to a proposed townsite closely intertwined with, and geographically indistinguishable from, what would become Little Rock.For a time in the early 1820s, Arkopolis and Little Rock existed as competing identities for the same emerging settlement, backed by different interests and land claims. This rivalry reflected disputes over surveys, ownership, and political influence, particularly as the question of the territorial capital came into focus. The turning point came in 1821, when Little Rock was selected as the capital of Arkansas Territory, giving its promoters a decisive advantage. As development continued through the 1820s, the name Little Rock gradually prevailed, and Arkopolis fell out of use. By the time of statehood in 1836, the rivalry had been fully resolved, with Little Rock absorbing all earlier competing designations and emerging as the dominant and enduring city.

Schoolgirl Maps

While the composition of maps as a pedagogical tool is first seen in Europe, mainly England, the Schoolgirl Map became a peculiarly American convention in the first part of the 19th Century, a period in which standards and purposes in women's education were changing. While boys were frequently taught the practical execution of surveys and charts, the production of attractive and informative maps appears to have been primarily the domain of young women. Such maps can be found of the World, the United States, or more specific maps of states. These were usually based on generally available reference maps, such as those found in the atlases produced by Carey and Lea, Finley, and Mitchell.

The goals of these exercises were more far-reaching than teaching geography. Girls learned penmanship; each map often incorporated three or more lettering styles. Mapmaking sharpened the retention and recall of factual information. Students were encouraged to take pains in their draftsmanship, and often achieved beautiful flourishes of artistic expression. But most peculiar to the American iterations of educational mapping was the goal of instilling civic pride and responsibility. The key goal of female education in the post-Revolutionary-War United States was to prepare for the indoctrination of the next generation of American citizens, a patriotic duty which would primarily fall on the shoulders of these young women.

For a good overview, see Betty Mason's '19th Century Schoolgirls Were Incredibly Good at Drawing Maps.' Published July 27, 2016 by National Geographic.

A Closer Look

As a manuscript work, this piece is unique. We are aware of no other maps by Sophia Woods. As the name is common, we have not been able to isolate the Sophia Woods who made this map.

Condition

Very good. Original linen backing. Some foxing and flyspotting.