Publisher's Synopsis
Beginning in the 1500s with maps of the vast, wild territory of La Florida, this book traces the recorded geographies of Europe's first North American frontier, right up to its statehood in 1846. In-depth essays and annotations of individual maps place each in historical context and provide a framework for understanding Florida's changing identity.
Simultaneously a history of New World cartography and of its geographic errors and eccentricities, it surveys the role of maps in the exploration and settlement of the New World and will be of interest to cartography enthusiasts and scholars alike. A Florida timeline, full-color reproductions, suggested reading list, glossary, and complete bibliography make this an excellent "navigational guide" for explorers--young and old--of Florida history.
Dana Ste.Claire is curator of history and an archaeologist at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach, author of True Natives: Florida's First People, and a regular feature columnist for the Orlando Sentinel. Peter A. Cowdrey, Jr., is museum program supervisor and early Florida map specialist with the Museum of Florida History, Tallahassee.
