Belle D. Danforth compiled geography exercises in this composition notebook during 1891, when she was approximately thirteen years old. The volume principally focuses on the United States but also includes entries relating to Africa, Asia, and North America. Belle Danforth's exercises provide information on a standard list of topics, including details on the location, the "race of man" to be found in the area, native animals, vegetable life, resources, industries, productions, cities, countries and capitals, and government. However, Danforth did not always include answers for each in her entries, in particular only noting racial groups when writing about larger regions. She also included a hand-drawn map of the area with descriptive text relating to boundaries, bays and gulfs, capes, mountains, rivers, lakes, and cities. Danforth's notes reflect how students were learning about regions' notable features and populations.
Maps drawn in the volume include:
- Western and Eastern Hemispheres
- North America
- Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine
- New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey
- Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Indian Territory (now Oklahoma)
- Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin
- Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas
- Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and California
- Michigan
- Asia (encompassing present-day West Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia)
- Africa
A map of West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky appears to be missing, but textual information about the region is provided. Only a partial entry is present for Europe.
