HIST 712: US Civil War Era Research (Spring 2025)

The William & Mary Libraries have some maps databases, most notably the Digital Sanborn Maps, but in most cases your best bet are digital collections online or bound collections of maps (atlases) organized around specific topics. 

Search maps as a SUBECT and in the second box put the location as a subject or keyword.
Limit publication date after the search results load, using the tools on the left side of the screen, next to the results.
This will also include materials in Special Collections, as well as materials in the general collection or digital collections.

This approach also works in WorldCat. Search maps as a SUBJECT and the location as a subject.
If you see a map of interest, look online to see if it has been scanned.
If it is held only by a few libraries or archives, go to their website to see if it has been scanned.
Maps in archival collections are very unlikely to be ILL'd, and scanning will likely include a charge.
Use the Maps tab to sift through results more swiftly.

Finding subject-related or themed maps

Search maps as a subject, and your topic as a subject or keyword.
Do NOT limit to publication date until you look at the results; if you're interested in the 19th century, there may be a 21st century publication with compiled/reprinted maps.  For example, a subject search for maps AND "African Americans" brings up recent publications containing collections of historic maps. 

This exact same approach also works in WorldCat. Search Maps and your topic as subjects in the advanced search sections of WorldCat

"atlas" is NOT a subject within the Library of Congress system. The best way to find them are to use maps as a subject and limit to books & ebooks.

Add your topic or location in the second search box. Do not limit to a specific time period yet, as this will remove historical atlases that were published later.  You can, however, narrow publication date after the initial search.

NOTE if you find an atlas in worldcat, we can probably ILL it, but look in googlebook, hathitrust, and internet archive to see if a digital copy exists. This will speed up the access process.

Knowing the type of map you want helps narrow where to look. This is a general list of types of maps you may encounter.

• Thematic Maps: Thematic maps provide information on special topics or themes (ex. politics, economics, hydrology, population statistics and demographics). These are often in bound Atlases. 
• Topography Maps: These maps show the shape and elevation of the terrain. Most print topographic maps are 7.5 minute, 1:24,000 scale. These maps are produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). There are also15-minute maps (1:62,500). Topographic maps are identified by state and then by the quadrangle name. Topographic maps also can be viewed and downloaded for free from the USGS Store.
• USGS Geologic Maps: Geologic maps provide information on the structure of the Earth, such as types of rocks exposed on the Earth's surface and types of bedrock that underlie the surface materials. Several different geologic map series are produced by the USGS. Examples include: Coal Investigations (C), Geological Quadrangle Map Series (GQ), Geophysical Investigations (GP), Hydrologic Investigations Atlases (HA), Land Use and Land Cover Maps (L), Mineral Investigations Resources (MR), Miscellaneous Field Studies (MF), Geologic Investigations (I), and Oil and Gas Investig. Charts & Maps (OC / OM). These maps are identified by a series name such as GQ or GP, and then a number. The Guide to USGS Publications (Andriot, 1997) and the Guide to USGS Publications (Andriot, 1998) are particularly useful for identifying geologic maps by area or subject. Additionally, it's possible to search for recent geologic maps and publications via the USGS Library at http://library.usgs.gov
• Defense Maps: The 1:50,000 series of domestic topographic maps is prepared and distributed for the DMA by the USGS. 
• Relief Maps: 3-D plastic maps. Caution: Fragile. They can be found in the catalog with the search "relief map"
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Maps: B.L.M. maps are topographic maps used primarily as cadastral maps (or maps that show land property-ownership lines). These maps show some surface features, but are used primarily to identify land ownership boundaries and property descriptions. These maps are also identified or referred to as surface management status maps. The B.L.M. also produces mineral management status maps. Mineral management status maps identify the federal agency that owns the minerals in a given quadrangle. Sometimes the surface management status data and the mineral management status data are included on the same map. 
• Nautical Charts: Nautical charts are special maps used for navigation at sea. These charts are produced by the U.S. National Ocean Service, a component of NOAA. The charts are un-cataloged and are arranged by stock number. The National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) Nautical Charts are catalogs that indicate which region is attached to which stock number. The NIMA catalogs are on the Index Table adjacent to the Nautical Maps & Charts. I am required to state these are Not for navigational use.
• Central Intelligence Agency Maps: CIA maps are primarily political maps produced by the CIA. These maps occasionally include thematic insets providing information on economic and social topics as well as features of the physical environment. Mostly in the PREX maps section.
• Aeronautical Maps: Aeronautical maps are produced and distributed by the Aeronautical Charts Service of the Department of Transportation and are received in the Library on a regular basis via the depository program. These maps serve the needs of aircraft at low and intermediate altitudes. Maps in this series include the Sectional Aeronautical charts and the VFR Terminal area charts (these maps provide greater detail for several terminal areas). 
• National Forest Maps: USGS topographic quadrangles [Forest lands] (scale 1:24,000). These are maps of national forests and wilderness areas in the states of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, northern California, and the Tongass National Forest of southeastern Alaska. Also includes Forest Visitor and Travel maps. Includes Oregon State Forestry Dept. maps (scale 1:100.000). Oregon wetland maps are produced as part of the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wetlands are identified from aerial photographs, based on vegetation, visible hydrology and geography in accordance with the Classification of Wetlands and Deep Water Habitats of the United States (FWS/OBI-74/31 Dec. 1979). 
• Nautical Maps: Series of maps for waterways and coasts throughout the world. These maps are not to be used for navigation.
• Geologic Atlas of the United States: This is a collection of 227 volumes produced by the USGS between 1894 and 1945 that includes topographic and geologic maps, with basic description of the economic geology of the area. NOTE we only have 56 volumes in print, but the whole series is online.