Map Monday: American Quilt by Jordan Penny

Although this is an old map, it got a lot of press last week on io9 and thus I decided to talk about it on Map Monday. Check out "American Quilt" by Jordan Penny:

As you can probably guess, this is a balkanized North America timeline, but what makes this project unique is that it is not just a map, but an entire series of graphics set in this alternate universe. Check out this bank note from Louisiana:

Telling an alternate history entirely through images excites me and I will be following this project with interest. You can see more images from Jordan here. I am a little iffy on the POD. If you read the io9 article, Jordan described the American rebels as "insurgents", which doesn't really fit with the Revolutionary War. When 21st century Americans hear "insurgent" they think terrorist or guerrilla fighter. The Revolutionary War, however, was often fought through set piece battles between organized armies and while both sides used partisan warfare, in truth most partisans were Loyalists trying to combat the rebels where they were most numerous. It is a misconception of history that Americans fought like the Viet Cong, waging a war of attrition against the British Empire, while ignoring completely the contributions of France and other foreign powers.

Of course I could just be nitpicking by focusing on one word instead of looking at the project as a whole. All in all I like the world Jordan is building and I hope to see more in the future. Honorable mentions this week go to "Osman 2014" by Bruce Munro (based on this scenario) and "The Plum Blossom Blooms" by rvbomally. If you want to submit a map for consideration for the next Map Monday, email me at ahwupdate at gmail dot com with your map attached and a brief description in the body of the email.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.