The Area of European Russia (in Black) Compared With the Area of the United States. The Territory of the United States is Very Nearly Twice the Size of That of European Russia.
- Title:
- The Area of European Russia (in Black) Compared With the Area of the United States. The Territory of the United States is Very Nearly Twice the Size of That of European Russia.
- Alternate Title:
- The Area of European Russia (in Black) Compared With the Area of the United States.
- Collection:
- Persuasive Maps: PJ Mode Collection
- Creator:
- Carr, John Foster
- Date:
- 1912
- Posted Date:
- 2024-04-25
- ID Number:
- 2448.01
- File Name:
- PJM_2448_01.jpg
- Style/Period:
- 1900 - 1919
- Subject:
- Other Moral & Social
Politics & Government
Unusual Graphics/Text
Unusual Projection - Measurement:
- 9 x 7 map of European Russia on 8 x 14 map of US (centimeters, height x width)
- Notes:
- As a "nation of immigrants," Americans have produced persuasive maps addressing the issues of immigration and nationality over most of the country's lifetime. The collection includes a number of these maps published since the 1840s. Some are welcoming, encouraging, and provide advice to immigrants. Some assert that the diversity of our nationalities is a source of strength for the country. And yet others attack immigrants in general, or specific ethnic or religious immigrant groups, particularly Asians, Catholics, and Jews. For the range of these maps, Search > "immigration.”
This map of European Russia overlaid on a map of the U.S. at the same scale was an important part of a detailed Yiddish-language guidebook for new Jewish immigrants from Russia. The map shows the vast size of the country compared to their homeland. It was intended, along with portions of the guide, to encourage the newly-arrived to consider settling in less crowded and less expensive parts of the U.S. than their ports of entry, particularly for those experienced or interested in farming. (The collection includes a number of maps comparing the size of various nations. Search > "relative size.")
The "Guide to the United States for the Jewish Immigrant" was prepared by John Foster Carr, a librarian and founder-director of the Immigrant Publication Society. Foster was "known for his writings and lectures on behalf of the alien born" and "author of numerous books and guides intended to hasten the adjustment and Americanization of the immigrant." New York Times, January 1, 1940, p. 42. Carr's Guides were published in three languages, corresponding to three of the most common immigrant groups of the time: Polish (ID #2447), Italian, and Yiddish (ID #2448, a contemporary "nearly literal translation" into English).
Carr's Guide begins with some history of the "Land of the Immigrant," followed by extensive practical advice on numerous subjects. These include US laws, government, citizenship, helpful societies, finding work, schools, geography, climate, banks, money, weights and measures, passports, and "Special Advice to the Immigrant" (about swindlers, loan sharks, those preying on young women, etc.). The text is interspersed with images of George Washington, the Statue of Liberty, the Capitol Building, and many pictures of school classes of all kinds.
Carr's advice on "Where to Go for Work" is pointed: "Unless you speak English, it is impossible, in the skilled trades, to find just the work you wish. . . . If you have a choice, it is usually better to take a job at a distance from the city where you land." Accordingly, the Guide includes an extended section on why "There is Prosperity and Health on the Farm" for those with "some absolutely necessary experience of agriculture." On the one hand, "Work in the city at good wages is often only temporary, and in cities frequently come those crises that throw men out of work. . . . But by farming a poor man in a short time can often become independent, if . . . he has persistence, industry and common intelligence." Furthermore, Carr notes, "Country life is healthier for yourself and your family." (Quotes are from the English translation of the Yiddish guidebook, ID #2448.)
The Yiddish version of Carr's Guide notes that "The cost of food is rising in America, and so the profits of farming and gardening are constantly increasing. For many Jews here is an excellent chance of work and prosperous living. . . . Thousands of Jews are succeeding here in farming and gardening." In addition to practical advice on "How to Become a Farmer" and how to buy a farm, there is a four-page list of formal Jewish Farming Associations in New York (14 groups), New Jersey (13 groups), Connecticut (16 groups), Massachusetts, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.
Folded into the back of this Guide is a standard 1911 colored map of the U.S. by C.S. Hammond. On the verso of this is a very unusual black-and-white map of the U.S. on essentially the same scale with the title and the names of states, cities, bodies of water and mountain ranges in Yiddish, ID #2448.02.
Cornell University Library is pleased to present this digital collection of Persuasive Maps, the originals of which have been collected and described by the private collector PJ Mode. The descriptive information in the “Collector’s Notes” has been supplied by Mr. Mode and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cornell University. - Source:
- Carr, John Foster. 1912. Guide to the United States for the Jewish Immigrant. A Nearly Literal Translation of the Second Yiddish Edition. New York: Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution.
- Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- For important information about copyright and use, see http://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/copyright.