Mapping: American Guide Series for the American Traveler

The See America First campaign, a claim to fame of the Federal Writers Project, encouraged Americans to travel the country in an effort to increase tourism (Shaffer, 2013). The variations in the stylings of the state guidebooks contributed to a reimagined sense of the "American way of life," which in turn promoted patriotism, and gave new strength to what it meant to be an American (Shaffer, 2013).

The StoryMap illustrates what an American can expect during a travel through the western states. Highlighted are the landmarks that the residents of Arizona and California had believed to be the most important to experience. Below the StoryMap is the expectation of safe places for a person of color traveling along the same route (Bond, 2017). Take notice of the difference between the maps, and how this may have impacted travel for other Americans.