Safeguarding our American freedom (1941)

This map, created by Lambert Guenther and published by C. S. Hammond & Co. in 1941, shows the military power of the United States in 1941.

The map was published before the United States entered World War II. Intended for propaganda purposes, it sought to demonstrate the strength of the US military. To this end, the map showed the various bases serving the United States:

• United States naval bases on its territory and in its colonies (marked with red dots surrounded by black circles).
• The bases ceded by the British Empire (same as above, but with a British flag).
• The new US bases proposed or under construction (with a triangle instead of a circle).
• The British bases (with red squares).

Between all the bases on the map and the major cities, the map draws lines and shows the miles separating each of the possible targets from the nearest base. In this way, the map sought to give the impression that virtually the entire world was under control in the event of a possible attack, something that is reiterated in the map's title itself., Safeguarding our American freedom.

At the bottom are the various aircraft and ships that the United States military had at its disposal at that time, including both those already in service and those under construction.

Sources

• Safeguarding our British Liberty
• “Safeguarding Our American Liberty” on the eve of the Second World War