Map of New England and New York, ca. 1676
Item 7494 info
Maine Historical Society
Rather than reading colonial maps as factual representations, we should examine them as political documents. Inaccuracies occur on early European maps mainly because mapmakers had a lack of first-hand knowledge of the land, and countries like England and France sought to claim and name territories for the purpose of colonization. Complicating factors with this map include the time period when it was made—during King Phillip’s War—when Native people were violently displaced by settlers, and many were forced to move from their traditional territories.
The map must be read critically, because it does contain Indigenous place names and territories. However, some are accurate, many are inaccurate, and others are not represented at all. For example, tThe map attempts to erase Wabananki homelands by stamping “Part of New Scotland” and “New England” over Wabanaki territory, communicating more about colonial propaganda and fear—attempting to make the “new world” look uninhabited—instead of the reality of Wabanaki authority and millennia of living in the region.
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