HIST 23
Maps: Past, Present & Future Winter 2024

This is not the current course catalog

This course will examine how antique maps provide a frame for understanding history, as well as lessons for modern-day map-making. We will start by considering the purposes of antique maps, especially those made in the 15th and 16th centuries by European and Islamic mapmakers, as well as maps made by indigenous mapmakers. Students will learn about the multitude of online resources available for studying antique maps, and, in their first project, will make a presentation about an antique map of their choice. We will then discuss the tools used in modern-day map-making, including analytical mapping software like ArcGIS and data sources like the US Census. The class will have several guest speakers and will also discuss a variety of case studies about how businesses, governments, and nonprofits utilize modern-day map-making. In the second project, students will select and evaluate a modern-day map, which could be about a nonprofit topic like politics, gerrymandering, racial covenants, redlining, or climate change or a for-profit topic like site selection, advertising effectiveness, sports or recreation.