Mapping the American Revolution

Join Esri cartographer Charlie Frye and the Florentine Films team for an in-depth conversation about the role of maps in Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series The American Revolution. In this discussion, you’ll learn how geographic information systems (GIS) and modern cartographic techniques helped reconstruct historical events and uncover surprising insights about America’s fight for independence. Discover how maps became a powerful storytelling tool for the documentary, providing clarity to one of the most complex chapters in American history. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:04 PBS Documentary Overview 01:44 Panelist Intro 02:16 Revolution Story Context 03:07 Maps in Storytelling 04:47 Abstract Map Visualization 04:56 Revolutionary War Cartography 06:39 War Maps & Geography 10:40 Map Creation Process 15:02 Historical Mapping Journey 17:02 Map Research & Fact-Check 21:59 Map Design & Narrative 26:17 Modern vs Historical Map Data 33:04 Native American Map Insights 36:05 Revolution Complexity Mapping 37:39 Audience Takeaways 42:59 Q&A: Maps & Education 45:24 Q&A: 18th Century Maps 49:39 Q&A: Historical GIS Data 51:23 Production Highlights 55:11 Closing & PBS Info Engage with #Esri on Social Media! https://twitter.com/Esri https://www.instagram.com/esrigram/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/esri/ https://www.facebook.com/esrigis/ Website: https://www.esri.com/en-us/home