Essay Questions for Thinking through Sources 1

Compare and Contrast: Three of these maps were created by Europeans, and one was created by the indigenous Americans who occupied present-day Mexico in 1550. What elements do the European and American maps have in common, and how do they differ? What does your comparison suggest about the elements that European and American cultures shared and the ways they diverged?

Examine Change over Time: It would be natural for Westerners to assume that, as people became more aware of and knowledgeable about the world around them, cartographers would gain the ability to create increasingly accurate maps. To what extent does this group of four sources support the assumption that cartographic accuracy improves with time? In what ways does it challenge that assumption? How, in particular, does the Cuauhtinchan map, created in 1550, figure into this argument?

Evaluate Form and Function: Maps are created to serve numerous different purposes. Some are purely navigational aids, while others educate an audience, provide support for a political agenda, or document the features of a particular region in a specific moment in time. How much can you glean about the purposes for which each of these maps was created through an examination of the details they include? Make an argument about how a mapmaker’s purpose influences the choices he or she makes about which details to include and exclude from the final product.