For me, the day that the new issue of National Geographic arrives at my house is one of the best days of every month. This month’s cover story takes a look at how Manhattan Island would have appeared to Henry Hudson in 1609 compared to how it looks today. As always, National Geographic has created some online resources to complement the print magazine.

National Geographic has created an interactive map of Manhattan Island. On the map you can compare views of Manhattan today with views of Manhattan in 1782. Scroll through the navigation tools to compare the views. On each map you will find yellow “hot spots.” Click on the “hot spot” icon to see a side-by-side past and present views of an area of Manhattan.

After exploring the before and after map, you may want to take a look at the image gallery that accompanies the article. The gallery includes images of New York today and artists’ renditions of how Henry Hudson may have seen New York in 1609.

Applications for Education
National Geographic’s interactive map and image galleries could be good resources for anyone teaching US History. You may want to use these resources in conjunction with the Henry Hudson Foundation’s historical maps.