Maps, Maps, Maps!

*Holly found this post of Brendan’s from last June(!!!) lingering in the drafts awaiting her approval. She apologizes for the long delay in posting it!

One of our collections here in Georgia College’s Special Collections is the various maps that have been collected over time. This collection is open to for use but rarely sees much interest from researchers. Maps are a great source of information for all studies.  In this collection, there are maps for agricultural studies, transportation studies, Civil War battle studies, and even studies about Milledgeville dating back to the very beginning of the city.   Maps put a visual image behind the words that relay in the story and can tell a lot about the subject.

Over the summer, I took it upon myself to update the finding aid for the maps collection.This collection peaked my interest not only because I have a degree in geography, but also because of the stories some of these maps tell.  To my chagrin, this also meant reprocessing a collection that had seen some of its items relocated or replaced in the wrong order. That meant that I needed to review each map to ensure that it was back to its correct home in the collection. What I thought was going to be a chore turned into many rabbit holes as I found myself studying each map.

For example, the map below shows the 13 original states in 1784 just after the American Revolution and independence from Great Britain. Many of the states claimed much more territory than what they have today. The states in the South claimed land all the way to the Mississippi River, as did Connecticut.

This map shows the original layout of the United States and the beginning of territorial issues that lead to the formation of states such as Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. This territory was the foundation for the country and the future idea of Manifest Destiny. The story of the beginning of the United States is brought to life in this particular map.

“The game ain’t worth winning if you’re breaking all the rules:” G.N. & I.C.’s own Crime & Punishment, or Rules and Regulations of the Founding Years (1890-1924)

Note: This is the final part of a three part series on the day to day administration and life of Georgia Normal & Industrial College students from 1890 to 1930. Find part one here and part two here.

“We don’t need no education…”

“School’s out forever…”

While housing and fashion are the somewhat more glamorous parts of college, today we’re here to talk about the respected and resented, controversial topic of rules and regulations. Girls at Georgia Normal & Industrial College had more than just the Student Judicial Board and Honor Code to worry about while out and about in Milledgeville. These girls were held to a high standard, as former President John Harris Chappell, and later President Marvin M. Parks, expected them to abide by a code of conduct that would probably impede even the most rule-abiding student among us today.

To examine these particular codes of conduct, I initially turned to what has become my favorite resource – A Centennial History of Georgia College. (The name has gotten familiar enough that I feel like I don’t even have to write out the full name anymore, but here you are.) And if you’ve ever wondered why historians rely so heavily on prospectuses from 1891 to 1924, here’s your answer: the main building of the G.N. & I.C. campus burned in 1924, sending all administrative records up in smoke. What have we got to go on, then? Prospectuses, photographs, and personal histories recorded in memorabilia.

At this point, it is important to note that the ages of G.N. & I.C. students was much different than Georgia College students today. Students during this era ranged in age from 16 to 20, with preference given to younger girls rather than older. This differs wildly from the 17-22 year old age range on campus today. Younger students in the 1890s meant that Chappell took his role of “in loco parentis” very seriously, leading to his autocratic reign as president. Chappell was absolute in his enforcement of rules on his students, going so far as to admonish parents of students for breaking them, and asking them to avoid sending their young daughters to the school if they were not willing to play by his rules. However, there were also pockets of delightful resistance, of which I hope to highlight.