  The charge and magnetization distributions of the proton and neutron are
encoded in their elastic electromagnetic form factors, which can be measured in
elastic electron--nucleon scattering. By measuring the form factors, we probe
the spatial distribution of the proton charge and magnetization, providing the
most direct connection to the spatial distribution of quarks inside the proton.
For decades, the form factors were probed through measurements of unpolarized
elastic electron scattering, but by the 1980s, progress slowed dramatically due
to the intrinsic limitations of the unpolarized measurements. Early
measurements at several laboratories demonstrated the feasibility and power of
measurements using polarization degrees of freedom to probe the spatial
structure of the nucleon. A program of polarization measurements at Jefferson
Lab led to a renaissance in the field of study, and significant new insight
into the structure of matter.
