Worksheet 4: Historical Map Analysis

Use the Population Density maps to complete this exercise.

Map 1: 1765

1. How many people lived in Petersham in 1765?

2. The essay tells us that during that time frame (1771), an inventory of the land use in Petersham reported 845 acres of livestock pasture, 443 acres of crop tillage, 958 acres of upland mowing, and 256 acres of meadow. If we use the 1765 population density map and the 1771 inventory, we can estimate roughly how many acres of forest must have been cleared to meet the needs of one person in Petersham in 1768. What is your estimate?

Map 2: 1831

3. How many people lived in Petersham in 1831?

4. If the ratio of people to cleared land was the same in 1831 as it was in 1768, how many acres of forest would have been cleared in 1831?

5. The 1771 inventory said that the total of pasture, tillage, mowing and meadow was 2,502 acres or 12% of the town. What was the total acreage of the town?

6. Based upon your answers to # 4 and #5 above, what percentage of the town would have been cleared in 1831?

7. Does this percentage match the map shown in Figure 5 from the essay? Why or why not?