The State of Arizona Research Library has just launched a new digital Story Map called, How Did Arizona Get its Shape? A Story Map is an interactive platform that combines digitized maps, images, and text to provide a narrative. The maps are overlaid on current topographical layers to allow a modern comparison. This Story Map lets you explore historical maps of North America and see how Arizona evolved into its modern borders over several centuries, from 1679 to 1912.

The Story Map highlights thirteen periods in history in which significant events occurred on the North American continent. Every historical period includes a digitized map that shows how borders on the continent changed as a result of the events within that period.

The maps start out covering large geographic areas, as large as the entire North American continent. As the story advances through time, the maps begin narrowing in on smaller geographic areas until the focus is entirely on Arizona as its borders are shaped today.

This Story Map is a great resource to view historical maps and it is a fun way to learn more about the history and importance of Arizona in a larger global context.

Launch the Story Map, How Did Arizona Get its Shape?