Mapping Change in North America 1755-1834

Between 1755 and 1834, American, British, French, and German cartographers created maps to record, establish, and legitimize land claims in North America. These maps illustrate large shifts in the territorial possessions of European nations such as France, Spain, and Great Britain, as well as in land inhabited by indigenous peoples. Maps help tell the story of how conflict and settlement formed the now-familiar outlines of states and countries in North America.