Common Core State Standard: ELA: Literacy: RI.4.1-4.5; 4.7-4.8; 4.10; 5.3-5.4; 5.7-5.8; 5.10; 6.1-6.

8;
6.10; 7.1-7.6; 7.8; 7.10; 8.1-8.8; 8.10 RH.6-8.1; 6-8.2; 6-8.3; 6-8.4; 6-8.5; 6-8.6; 6-8.7; 6-8.8; 6-8.10

16th and 17th-Century

Maps of the Americas
Maps are not only tools for navigation and information, but also are con-
sidered works of art. As intrepid explorers investigated the “New World”
in the 16th and 17th centuries, their reports inspired cartographers
(mapmakers) at home to update their maps of the growing known world.
Accuracy was not always guaranteed since much of the news sent back
was erroneous due to hasty data gathering, honest misreading, and even
calculated falsifications. Some of the maps were compiled in large atlases
and published for the grand libraries and cultural reputations of wealthy
clientele. John Speed’s steel-engraved, hand-colored view of America from
1626, shown here, includes attractive cultural border decorations, but
depicts the Spanish myth of the time that California is an island.

Did you know?

Renaissance mapmakers often enhanced their product by add-
ing decorative elements, including unknown perils such as sea
serpents, mermaids, and other imagined creatures, making the
maps more attractive to buyers. Sebastian Münster even cata-
logued the many invented monsters he used in this page from
Marine and Land Monsters of 1552.

Get Creative
Hide a gift for a friend or relative in your
yard or home and draw a map illustrated
with points of interest to give them clues of
where to find their prize.
Images: Top: John Speed, Americas (London, 1626); Bottom: Sebastian Münster Marine and Land Monsters
(Basel, 1552). Photos by Paul Mutino