Exploring American Histories: Printed Page 33
Interpret the Evidence
How did the mapmakers in Documents 1.7, 1.8, and 1.9 represent the lands being discovered and claimed by various European nations?
What were the different purposes of the various maps included here?
What elements other than geographical features appear on these maps, and what were they intended to symbolize?
Compare the Cuauhtinchan map (Document 1.10) with those created by Europeans. What are the major differences? What do you think these differences reveal about the cultures of the mapmakers?
Put It in Context
What are the strengths and weaknesses of modern mapmaking compared with older mapmaking?
What is gained and what is lost in the transition from one to the other?