Timelines

Picture of nations or perspective sketch of the course of empire. To accompany Willard's Universal history in perspective. Entered ... 1835, by F.J. Huntington Connecticut. (1836)
A Chronological Picture of Nations, or Perspective Sketch of the Course of Empire, in Atlas, to Accompany a System of Universal History. Emma Willard. Hartford: 1836
This timeline depicts the flow of historical events as rivers of time. It follows the widely accepted chronology of that era, beginning with creation in 4004 BC and running up to the contemporary 1830s.
A.D. 1498. The Discovery Of America. Engraved by Sidy. Hall Bury Strt. Bloomsby London, Published by Seeley & Burnside, 169, Fleet Street, Jany. 1830
A.D. 1498. The Discovery of America, in An Historical Atlas; in a Series of Maps of the World as Known at Different Periods; Constructed upon an Uniform Scale, and Coloured According to the Political Changes of Each Period . . . Edward Quin. London: 1830
In these stunning visualizations, the unique maps in this atlas use progressively receding cloud borders to indicate the expansion of geographical knowledge over time.

The aptly named Histomap by John Sparks, viewable here,  encapsulates four millennia of history. In addition to capturing humankind as a species and as different races, it represents flora and fauna. Sparks has the map’s contrails inflate and deflate, according to his view of their dominance or decline. The chart’s sideline shows the geology of various eras. This masterpiece cost but a dollar in 1942.

The second timeline is by Emma Willard, a prolific American writer and women’s rights activist. Her timeline focuses entirely on human history, with a detailed focus on the western world. Without a doubt, this chart was a teaching tool, along with Willard’s book, Universal History in Perspective.

The map displayed here from Quin’s atlas reveals a view of the world from the time of division of the Moghul Empire to the discovery of America. Brighter colors show Western Europe in the center of the map. Africa is shown for the first time (in this atlas) as is the East Coast of North America from Newfoundland all the way down to the northern edge of South America.