Historical Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections, 1788-2004 presents a comprehensive and vivid portrait of voting patterns and trends in presidential balloting from the uncontested first election to two of the most controversial and hard-fought contests in U.S. history. The Atlas uses sets of four-color maps focused at the county level to offer new perspectives and insight into the nationʼs first fifty-five presidential elections. Exclusive to it are illuminating maps indicating degrees of support in each county for every candidate obtaining at least 2 percent of the popular vote. The maps uniquely allow for longitudinal analysis of electoral patterns for every county, state, region and section of the country across the span of U.S. history. Each election is illustrated by a centerpiece spread containing the following: a map depicting the winning candidate and party in each county and indicating whether victory was by majority or plurality, a map showing the electoral college vote, individual maps for each major candidate illustrating the level of support obtained in every county, pie charts presenting popular and electoral vote percentages. This reference also offers historical overviews of the electoral and political party history surrounding presidential elections and analyzes data sources and the history of election mapping as well. Informative essays examine key data and events of each election, providing context to that particular vote and the elections preceding and following it.

Presidential elections -- Political parties and presidential elections -- The nomination process -- Changes in the electorate -- Political geography of settlement -- Historical trends in suffrage and voter participation -- Previous works in mapping U.S. presidential elections -- Construction of the presidential elections maps -- 1788-1789 presidential election -- 1792 presidential election -- 1796 presidential election -- 1800 presidential election -- 1804 presidential election -- 1808 presidential election -- 1812 presidential election -- 1816 presidential election -- 1820 presidential election -- 1824 presidential election -- 1828 presidential election -- 1832 presidential election -- 1836 presidential election -- 1840 presidential election -- 1844 presidential election -- 1848 presidential election -- 1852 presidential election. -- 1856 presidential election -- 1860 presidential election -- 1864 presidential election -- 1868 presidential election -- 1872 presidential election -- 1876 presidential election -- 1880 presidential election -- 1884 presidential election -- 1888 presidential election -- 1892 presidential election -- 1896 presidential election. -- 1900 presidential election -- 1904 presidential election -- 1908 presidential election -- 1912 presidential election -- 1916 presidential election -- 1920 presidential election -- 1924 presidential election -- 1928 presidential election -- 1932 presidential election -- 1936 presidential election -- 1940 presidential election -- 1944 presidential election -- 1948 presidential election -- 1952 presidential election -- 1956 presidential election -- 1960 presidential election -- 1964 presidential election -- 1968 presidential election -- 1972 presidential election -- 1976 presidential election -- 1980 presidential election -- 1984 presidential election -- 1988 presidential election -- 1992 presidential election -- 1996 presidential election -- 2000 presidential election -- 2004 presidential election.