What is Happening Inside the Republic of Gilead? (A Map Analysis) 

Florida is red because disney wouldnt abide having another totalitarian competitor. Blessed be the Mouse.

Actually the misspelling of produced may be intentional. Often map makers will misspell words to help prove that a map was produced by them. So if someone just photocopies the map and prints it out they can point to the error and say that it’s their work.

When the book was written, the Southern Baptist were much more liberal than they are today. Not to mention that the Southern Baptist were never fans of legalistic views of the Bible (like Gilead’s twisted interpretation of it) even after the denomination became the ultra-conservative block it is today. That’s why the Baptists in the South were in open rebellion against Gilead instead of supporting them.

In season 4 it is revealed Texas became its own country, which makes a lot of sense if you think about it.

You can't wear those Gilead clothes in Florida (or south or southwest for that matter) or you'll die of heat stroke. Fashion is stopping them from taking over the whole country lol

Blessed be the fruit loops

I now kinda want an open-world game based on The Handmaid's Tale

I'm interested in this 'No Man's Land" where Canadians, Handmaids, Gilead military and rebels can all sneak into and back out so easily (according to S01E10)

The Atomic Wastelands have to be from a nuclear power plant meltdown if they're still wastelands. People don't seem to understand that when a nuclear bomb is detonated its radioactive fallout degrades to safe levels within a couple weeks. Power plants have a lot more nuclear fuel and can leak continuously, which is why Nagasaki is safe today while Pripyat is still considered hazardous. Either that or the creators misunderstand that as well and thought nuclear bombs would create radioactive wastelands forever.

For those of us who do not live in America - I would appreciate you point out (arrow etc) the places you are talking about - I have no idea where in the map you are referring to.

Los Angeles wasn't nuked. That radioactive symbol is right on-top of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, southeast of Los Angeles. That plant was decommissioned in 2012, however, so that portion of Southern California being an atomic wasteland becomes very unlikely (take into account that the book was written in 1985, while the San Onofre plant was still active). I live about 30 miles away from San Onofre so in the show's universe, I'm apparently dead anyway. :D

I keep hearing “counties” when he says colonies

In the show, there is an active insurgency in Chicago, and they are talking about a "troop surge" there early in season three. I would submit Gilead is in a weak position here. They don't control the Gulf Coast with the oil reserves and refineries there. Further, rebels effectively control the Great Lakes with Canada controlling the Saint Lawrence River and the Welland Canal, and the rebels controlling Huron, Michigan, which cuts off the upper Great Lakes. If the rebels can hold Chicago, a surge south to Saint Louis with a corresponding surge north along the Mississippi River to Memphis would effectively cut Gilead in half separating the resource rich west from the population centers in the east.

Living in Puerto Rico myself, the island is mostly catholic and hispanic, therefore I believe we wouldn’t support Gilead, and we had support from latin america and europe to get independence, Gilead will be too involved in civil war to care about the island.

7:50 In the show, and i think the book as well, they mention that "the fighting in Florida must be going well" in reference to the presence of oranges at Loaves And Fishes

Update: In season 4, a Burlington, VT library is mentioned as a location a group of Handmaid's are "hiding out" in.

Florida man is too powerful of an adversary

This map was also displayed in High Commander MacKenzie's office, shown in the Season 2 episode "Holly". I think the radioactive sites are actually of incidents/accidents at nuclear reactors rather than the result of nuclear weapon exchanges.

I like to imagine that Gilead from The Handmaid's Tale is in the same universe with Norsefire Britain from V for Vendetta (the film version).

I imagine the troops overseas are loyal to Anchorage

Thank you for not doing many spoilers in this video. I'm just now watching the show and was curious about Gilead. So I appreciate that you didn't go into much details on the story itself.

It makes me proud to think that the Ozark foothill had to be nukked multiple times to bring it under some form of gilead control. Those would be my boys fighting this monster

My whole problem with the concept of a Gilead take over, is the US Navy. Since Hawaii is still part of the US, there is still US control over the Pacific. Additionally, as things start to go bad on the continental US, the Navy would almost certainly put its west coast fleets, and ESPECIALLY carriers and subs to sea and out of reach of Gilead. On the east coast, while some of the major bases might be taken by surprise, again the majority of the fleet will be spread out across the Atlantic, the Med and the IO. Plus the US Navy is HIGHLY technical. Unlike ground forces where you can fill your ranks with just about anybody, it takes some considerable knowledge to operate a modern ship of war, and I just don’t see a Theocracy like The Sons of Jacob being able crew enough ships with scientific minded officers to creat an effective navy. So east and west coast get blockaded and Gilead can ONLY look to Mexico and Canada as trading partners. If you then reduce your socio-economic workforce by literally half... the math for Gilead to be successful just doesn’t work out.

The Map can be Propaganda and everything it Portrays need not be Accurate or Honest. In fact with the lack of travel to verify Information it can be Grossly Inaccurate and even Good Maps contain Deliberate Errors. Just as in The Amtrak Wars the Maps did not Reveal the Truth.

The fact that Detroit isn't red on this map makes no sense whatsoever. Detroit's extreme proximity to Windsor, Ontario Canada (the cities currently share two border crossings with billions of dollars in trade passing through annually) it makes much more geographical & political sense for that city to be a larger threat/problem than Chicago. During Prohibition Detroit was a hot bed for smuggling alcohol in from Ontario, Canada. It was also one of the primary routes for slaves to escape into Canada via the Underground Railroad. One would think that for Gilead the city of Detroit would represent a huge problem in terms of uprisings and defectors illegally escaping to Canada. 🤷‍♀️

The book is clear that the Sons of Jacob had a racial aspect central to their culture. Don't make the mistake of thinking that all conservatives would fit the SoJ measure, again Attwood was clear that the SoJ was ruthless in eliminating any threat, cultural, political or religious. The book highlights a massive breakdown of moral standards, followed by a serious back swing to conservative moral standards, possibly precipitated by the SoJ as field tests and for pre-coup preparation. Searches and shop closures happened in city after city, before the coup, in a form of public backlash it is assumed. I would consider that the reality is that the situation would be more fluid than the map would indicate. There is a war going against the remnants of the US, with mention made of fighting against baptists, and from the series we know that untrained levies of guardians are being thrown in to recover Chicago. Strategically, Gilead faces the same problems the South faced in the civil war, only magnified...limited industrial base, food and resource shortages, lack of skilled labour, limited trade, and manpower restrictions. The opposition only need to kill enough of them, and Gilead falls by default.

The map is guff because according to "The Testaments", Texas succeeded from the USA as Gilead took over after a short war.

This map is brilliant in its portrayal: uses UTM Zone 18 (suitable for portions of the Eastern Seaboard) to show the entire country, creating an increasingly distorted view going West. Fictionnally created by ideologues who can't really control the country because they can't truly see it; who have some knowledge & tactics (knew how to compile data to a single projection), but no wisdom or strategy (understand the options and choose the right one for the purpose). Absolutely brilliant.

The New California Republic is like Dorne. Unbowed, unbent, unbroken.

I appreciate your study here. Great job!

In the type of coup that takes place in the book/show, it is possible that Los Angeles would become a de facto capital of the United States government in exile. It hosts two of the largest ports on the West Coast, has a massive population, and its movie industry could become a propaganda center for the entire resistance movement. The nuking of Los Angeles was likely a strategic decision by Gilead. Many ultra-conservative Christians see the city as a modern Sodom and Gomorrah. There is also the possibility that a large military force was offloading troops, getting fleet repairs, or re-supplying at the time of the strike. So this could be a scenario where Gilead nukes Los Angeles and (apparently also) San Diego to effectively cripple an organized resistance movement on the continent. The United States government then moved their capital to Anchorage. Resistance is still ongoing with Gilead not in full control of even half the former United States, but the immediate threat of a large military invasion or push eastward by the United States military has been stopped. This would also explain the total isolation forced upon them by the United Nations after nuking roughly 5.5 million people. In regards to the colonies, I always envisioned two scenarios happening. The first being that the outbreak of civil war causes a lot of the social and political order in the Midwest to break down. Supply lines to grocery stores are disrupted. Unemployment skyrockets or people cannot get paid or lose their savings when Gilead seizes American banks. Militia groups supporting either the United States, Gilead, or their own secessionist movement form and begin openly fighting each other. The West Coast would survive a lot more easily since the ports would easily allow the import of aid from other countries. The same cannot be said for the Midwest that might have devolved into a chaotic warzone. The second scenario is what the United States military does with their nuclear silos stationed in the those regions. They won't use them on American soil to since the goal is to liberate areas under Gilead control not destroy them. They also won't want the United States' nuclear arsenal to fall into the hands of the Gilead military. My guess is that various nuclear silos initiate processes to destroy or wreck their nuclear weapons. This could easily lead to horrific environmental damage in the area depending on how that destruction happens and what happens to the nuclear material in each warhead. As for the red areas on the borders, I view those as markers for major control issues for Gilead. Meaning that the borders in those areas are highly insecure allowing near free flow of refugees, resistance fighters, and smugglers. Anti-Gilead forces can and do use those regions to enter into former United States territories and carry out their planned actions. Given my own interpretations in these comments, I feel like Gilead has likely crippled the United States government in exile. Large portions of the U.S. military and maybe its fleets have been decimated in nuclear strikes on Los Angeles and San Diego. The remaining U.S. military forces left on the continent itself are fighting Gilead but with little to no supply lines or strategic coordination. The big question becomes is the United States military recruiting and reorganizing in a friendly country (Canada, Mexico, etc) for a future invasion of their former territory. Or has the United States government in Alaska become the Taiwan to Gilead's China? The book claims that the novel's events took place in the Early Gilead Period with many of the ranking commanders getting later purged in the Middle Gilead Period. Since the epilogue in the book takes place after Gilead has fallen several decades after its creation, it is safe to assume that two things happen: 1) the United States military eventually wins the Second American Civil War and defeats Gilead, or 2) Gilead collapses due to decades of economic sanctions and the security apparatus keeping the population in check falters.

Thank you for doing this presentation! I have long been driven crazy by just what the map of Gilead looks like and had only a vague notion.

I was always under the impression that Gilead occupied only a section of the geography of the US.

They actually did a damn good job with railroad mainlines on the map.

This was really cool, and really well done

There’s a mention of oranges in the show- and I can’t totally recall but I think a Handmaids made mention of her commander saying they were doing well on the FL front

Bernie Sanders became known as "The Angel of Brattleboro" for his heroic acts. Never forget his sacrifice.

I think that a lot of what is going on in the south just involves a lot of attempts to separate. Look at how much of Texas is dark red. I suspect that not long after Gilead took over a lot of groups would take advantage of the chaos. Texas especially is known for advocating for independence. It's not a stretch to say that very conservative but independence and states rights groups would seize the opportunity. Those areas may be controlled by independent militias attempting to establish their own Governments. That would explain the separation the different areas may have completely different philosophies to their resistance.

You had my curiosity...now you have my attention...lol seriously I'm now interested in this book/series

Omg I’m so glad i found your page! Excellent video and i am OBSESSED with this book (and anything by Margaret Atwood) and the show! Thanks so much x

Am I the only one that keeps hearing county instead of colony? Great video though haha

I need a spinoff about rebel Bernie Sanders

What was Moira's route out of Gilead into Ontario? There is no way to drive directly from the U.S. into Ontario without crossing what, one presumes, would be a heavily guarded bridge border crossing.

I’ve been to the podash mines in SW New Mexico. The rocks glow in the dark, even after taken off site will glow for days. We also have the Labs here. So accident, or coordinated incident perhaps could be likely.

The 2016 election did prove that the northeast might not be as liberal as we initially thought yes, however I still see a state like the Republic Of Gilead happening in the Southern States rather than the Northeast

I'm gunna need Marget Atwood to lay out a whole timeline

Congrats on 25k subs!

Good episode. Well prodiced.

Every guardian thinks they are Gangsta until the cotton fields start whistlin’ Dixie.

This map doesn't fully make sense with the show though, since at different points the show mentions the Gilead orange groves in Florida (season 1), the front lines in Chicago (season 3), and that California is a part of Gilead (season 2 and season 3).

Love the set

I hope the next season gets to show more of the Gilead world and maybe what's going on in Chicago.

Take away beer and bars from Wisconsinites and see how long they put up with your theocracy.

As an Indigenous person, I can't help it, I want those red borders to be the border tribes... Those from the High Way of Tears, and even my cousins, the Micmac and Maliseet, who for so long didn't have federal recognition because they were on both sides of the northern border. I hope it's the same through the south too, Trump wanting to put a wall in the middle of an Indian Reservation, severing it in two... Even though we're never even mentioned in the books, I'm still crossing my fingers it's us, working with the Underground Railroad, helping to ferry women to safety. North and South.

Fun with flags !

Mentions typo on map a few times Goes on to mispronounce "nuclear" several times

bernie Sanders leading the Vermont insurgency? what a plot twist (RW)

SoCal does have two decommissioned nuclear power plants, that would have been operational in 85. San Onofre and Diablo Canyon. And would correspond with the map. There is also the possibility that a nuclear carrier stationed at San Diego may have gone up as well. Also there are quite a few research reactors as well.

Hey this video is amazing. This is my favorite stuff about the show. I know this is three years old, but if you’ve been keeping up with season 5, I’m curious if you have any theories as to which island they are turning into New Bethlehem?

I like your headcanon about Bernie! Feel the Bern, Gilead!!!!

Head Cannon for the pacific territories and Puerto Rico: The pacific territories are still under the Authority of the rump US government in Anchorage. For Puerto Rico it declared independence but dissolved into a civil war between Gilead backed unionists wanting to create a Catholic theocracy, Left-wing rebels backed by Cuba and the Puerto Rican government supported by most of the international community. Mainly Europe and continental Latin America.

What about the people of ham (ie. black people) who were exiled from Gilead? The tv show didn’t touch on this but the book did. Is this map just an adaptation from the details of the tv show?

this series is so nuts and surreal

My goodness, how you look like a young Gil Bellows! 😍 Lovely video.

The nuclear symbols in the SW correspond to Diablo Canyon, San Onofre and Palo Verde power plants.

margreat atwood wrote a couple novels that were placed in a time capsule before anybody read them.

Very interesting! On a random note, I've never heard county/colony pronounced that way. I can't identify a regional accent like that... (northern midwest?)

I'm assuming one reason the epicenter of Gilead being a movement around the Boston/New England areas is perhaps to give viewers/readers a reference from our own history to the Independence war against England? Just like in the video game Fallout 4 the post apocalyptic world designed drew heavy influence on the Independence war, it even included a faction known as The minute men, or also like Battlestar Galactica with it's 13 colonies being inspired by or reference to the original 13 colonies that formed the U.S. Though in the show there were only 12 colonies that were named after the 12 signs of the zodiac (colonies had zodiac like names) however they talked about a mythical 13th colony which might just be the reference to the historical colonies IRL. Pretty much like many sci-fi/dystopian futures in film/book/tv shows, they just used a historical reference to set it against that would resonate with readers/viewers.

Under his eye, that's where you AIM!

Since there is a functioning US government, it's likely the existing US military installations abroad would remain functional to a degree. You would never knowingly give up the bases abroad to mount an offensive against Gilead for a few reasons. Plus, there's no rush to take over irradiated, scorched earth. See Pripyat.

You remind me of a young version of Gil Bellows, who (spoiler) is on season 3 of the Handmaid's Tale. I also wonder what made Vermont a stronghold of the resistance-maybe it's their history of having tried to be an independent republic or some of the French roots.

Amazing how in most post apocalyptic shows and movies and stories Saskatchewan (the Canadian province north of ND and MT, the one with the ruler straight four borders) looks perfectly fine.

What happened to the native Americans cos they are not mentioned and you do not see them were the Native American tribes wiped out or did they form their own land in Gilead

me: * looks at thumbnail * Also me: "Well boys we did it, Arkansas and Missouri are no more!"

I think the nuclear site in Southern California is the San Onofre plant, which is not active, but houses spent nuclear fuel.

Well today in gilead, the Supreme Court removed women’s bodily autonomy.

Where the hell are the Marines? I know damn well some Female Marine fighter pilots would get into an F18s and be wreaking havoc. Wished they expanded more on the show, would make it a whole lot better.

+1 on your headcanon!

The upper peninsula of Michigan ( right center, top of the map) does make some sense, we have seriously considered splitting from Michigan several times. The northern lower peninsula and the UP are both quite rural, farm and forest country. It also appears that the greater Green Bay, Wisconsin area is under rebel control. I dont think these boundaries represent demographics though. I think rebels operating out of Sault. Ste. Marie Canada could be pushing south through relatively unimportant territory. However, the UP of michigan produces a lot of iron ore, and the lower peninsula has a few small oil patches and a lot of productive farm land.

I love how it the show cites like Chicago and other cities are fighting back agents Gilead

They made a mention of the "wars" in Florida going well

All I wanna know is if there’s balm there.

What a fun idea for a channel.

Understood !

i think los angles was nuked because all the marines forces from camp pendelton and 29 palms dug in defences to hold a landing area for the us pacific fleet to land

Plot twist: Gilead is being used as a land for proxy war between two international superpower countries.

The nuclear strike in San Diego took out a major Navy base and two major boot camps, for the military. The one in Arizona is a weapons development site (or nuclear power plant, have it your way).

From what i understand of it, the areas in vermont and michigan along with the whole strech along the canadien border was taken by canadien military

The theory about Nuke plants being the cause is still a really good idea, as the show started, and the book was written before the closures of both the plant at San Onofre, (Just north of San Diego) and the plant at Devil Canyon. The two nuclear hazard symbols overlay almost on top of them. Also as a SoCal native that wasteland in SoCal lines up with Half of San Diego County, and about half of the OC. (Orange County) It curves slightly because of the Santa Ana range, meaning that the people who did this map are locals, or a HUGE geography, and topography nerds.

It is clear why Gilead has conquered what it has. It was willing to nuke its own cities just to make it's point loud and clear! How do you beat someone like that who dose not give a shit how many lives it has to take in order to win?

Ive been wondering about this and it was just randomly reccomended to me. Algorithms know our thoughts now! NICE

He's the historian but he never mentioned the fact that in the book all black people around it up and sent to horrific reservations/concentration camps in The Dakotas

Knowing what I know about Independent Baptists they would be more likely be the ones creating Gilead not fighting it.

Well I'm close enough to northern lower peninsula Michigan I can run to the border. Whew!

great video! also you look unsettlingly like a professor of mine.

In season 4 episode 2 they mention that the Republic of Texas is fighting Gilead in the South which is why I decided to look up a map of Gilead

I find it interesting that part of Michigan's thumb would be rebel territory since it's notorious for being extremely conservative

Question is,NATO still exist? Because in NATO is USA not Gilead. And NATO help USA to defend Chicago?

It's funny that there typos on both maps! "...Gilead has the UN Building in NYC hostate." ... And I could totally see Bernie Sanders sitting in a bunker somewhere wearing aviators and two ammo belts draped over his shoulders and across his chest. ; )

It's so weird how reality's tryina copy The Handmaid's Tale.