The history of five major cartographic errrors of American geography
that have had considerable resonance long after they were perpetrated.
The Mismapping of America presents and analyzes the significant
cartographic errors that have shaped the history of the United States.
Perhaps the most blatant error is the very name "America," that honors
Amerigo Vespucci, who not only never set foot on North American soil,
but also played no significant role in the discovery of South America.
The appearance of the name "America" imprinted on a map ensured its
permanence.
Other significant errors explored in The Mismapping of America include
Giovanni da Verrazzano's misinterpretation of Pamlico or Albermarle
Sound for the Pacific Ocean, thereby suggesting the presence of an
isthmus in the middle of the North American continent; the existence of
a direct North West passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; the
misconception that California was an island; and the insertion on Lake
Superior of a fictitious island that is specificallyreferred to in
defining the boundary of the United States. The inclusion of pertinent
rare maps enhances this rich and revealing narrative of several
intriguing episodes in the history of the geographic evolution of the
United States.
Seymour I. Schwartz is the Distinguished Alumni Professor of Surgery at
the University of Rochester, and an expert on the history of mapping
America. He is the coauthor of Mapping of America and author of The
French and Indian War 1754-1763: The Imperial Struggle for North America
and This Land is Your Land.
