If you would like to learn more about the history of maps or mapmaking, the following books or websites are good places to start:

Book on maps of the United States ❧ Susan Schulten, A History of America in 100 Maps (2018) ❧ A wonderful resource, this book has a selection of U.S. maps from 1490-2001. Each chapter begins with a short summary of a period of history, followed by exemplary maps from that era. A selection of the maps are available online.

Books on indigenous maps of North America ❧ Mark Warhus, Another America: Native American Maps and the History of Our Land (1997) ❧ Essays and examples of maps made by Native people in the United States, focusing on the 19th century.

❧ Barbara E. Mundy, The Mapping of New Spain: Indigenous Cartography and the Maps of the Relaciones Geograficas (1996) ❧ Focuses on mapping practices of indigenous Mesoamericans in the 16th century under colonial Spain.

Book on history of maps & mapmaking ❧ Simon Garfield, On the Map: A Mind-Expanding Exploration of the Way the World Looks (2013) ❧

Book on European & North American mapmaking ❧ John Noble Wilford, The Mapmakers (2000) ❧ A history of European and North American mapmaking, from ancient Greece to today. The book covers changes in surveying, printing, map projections, and navigation, among other topics.

Online histories of maps and mapmaking in traditional African, American, Arctic, Australian, and Pacific societies ❧The History of Cartography ❧ is a six-volume survey of maps and mapmaking throughout time and across the globe. The first three volumes are online. The second volume examines traditional cartography across the globe with multiple essays for each region.

Check out the short video we made about maps for National History Day.