Historical Maps - Vivid Maps

Virginia’s territorial claims have evolved significantly over the years, shaping the state’s geographic boundaries and influencing its historical narrative. The origins of Virginia’s territorial claims can be traced back to the early 17th century, when English settlers, led by the Virginia Company, established the Jamestown colony in 1607. The original charter granted by King James I defined Virginia’s boundaries as stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Historical Maps

October 30, 2019 Alex

European Colonial Shipping Lanes

British colonial shipping lanes covered vast expanses, connecting the British Isles to North America, the Caribbean, South Asia, and the Pacific. Spanish lanes were primarily transatlantic, centered on the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean. French routes spanned the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, reaching North America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific. Dutch shipping lanes had a global reach, including the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with a strong presence in Southeast Asia and the East Indies.

Historical Maps

October 19, 2019 Alex

Maps showing how many years each territory was ruled by the country

The territory of each country is changing through times. Each state in the world has reached its territorial peak, which then ends.

Historical Maps

September 4, 2019 Alex

The Countries Bordering Poland in 1989 No Longer Exist Today

Every country that shared a border with Poland in 1989 has since disappeared or transformed completely. East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union—three powerful neighbors that seemed permanent—all vanished within just a few years, fundamentally reshaping Poland’s place in Europe and the world.

Historical Maps

August 18, 2019 Alex

The Ephemeral States of the Napoleonic Period

With a laurel crown upon his head and the Grande Armee at his command, Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, led his sovereign proto-nation down a path diverging from the Republican principles it fought so long to uphold, espousing devotion to the spirit of the revolution under autocratic rule – his rule.

Historical Maps

July 11, 2019 Alex

Map of all territories of the Portuguese Empire (1419-1999)

The Portuguese Empire was one of the biggest and longest-lived empires in world history; it existed for nearly 6 centuries, from the capture of Ceuta in 1415 to the handover of Portuguese Macau to China in 1999. The Second Portuguese Empire spanned 5.4 million square kilometers or 2.12 million square miles at its peak.

Cities Historical Maps

June 27, 2019 Alex

The Ancient City of Carthage

Carthage was the capital city of the ancient Carthaginian civilization, located between the Tunisian capital city of Tunis and the Gulf of Tunis. Among the ancient world’s largest and prosperous cities, Carthage’s strategical position gave access to extensive fertile lands and major marine trade ways.

Historical Maps Old maps

June 26, 2019 Alex

Hunger map of Europe (1918)

The map is dated December 1, 1918. The armistice with Germany was less than a month old. Most of Central and Eastern Europe were in revolutionary chaos.

Territories having been at one time controlled by France during the period 1534 - 1803

Historical Maps

June 20, 2019 Alex

New France in its heyday

New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spain in 1763 under the Treaty of Paris (1763).

Abolition of slavery in the United States mapped

Historical Maps

June 14, 2019 Alex

Slavery in the United States: A Comprehensive Overview

Delve into the history of slavery in the United States, from its early beginnings to its eventual abolition. Illustrated with maps depicting the spread and peak of slavery, this post offers a thorough overview of how slavery shaped the nation’s history and geography.

Historical Maps

June 7, 2019 Alex

On this day (June 7, 1494), Spain and Portugal divided the world between the two nations

The Treaty of Tordesillas signed at Tordesillas on June 7, 1494, and authenticated at Setúbal, Portugal, divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between the Portuguese Empire and the Crown of Castile, along with a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa.

Historical Maps

May 30, 2019 Alex

Watch Manhattan Grow Over 400 Years

Manhattan has changed substantially over the past 400 years. With the millions of people who live there and the many more who commute to the island on a daily basis, Manhattan has become a metropolis of concrete, culture, and big-city life.

Historical Maps Old maps

May 24, 2019 Alex

The 4th Reich? (1947)

This is a 1947 map depicting the “What If” following the end of the Second World War in Europe. The