Lines
on a Map
Early
maps focused on the Great Lakes. They offered little information about
the land surrounding them. Not until after the American Revolution did
the lakes become international boundaries.
The
new United States designated the Great Lakes region as its Northwest
Territory. congress planned to create new states when enough people
settled there. The map of Michigan was drawn and re-drawn as the number
of settlers increased.
In
the 1830s, Michigan's admission to the Union was delayed by a boundary
dispute resulting from how lines were drawn on a map.
 This
map, Haut Canada et Michigan, No. 42, Amer. Sep., is the first
lithographed map of Michigan. Settlements are located on the map. Copper
and lead mines and salt licks are indicated in the text. The mapmaker
was Ph. Vandermaelen. It was lithographed by H. Ode and Ph. Lippens in
1825. It was published in Brussels in 1827 in the Atlas
Universel de Geographie.
What's
Cool About Maps? features 29 maps from the collection of the Jesse
Besser Museum, Alpena, Michigan. The exhibit was at the Michigan Historical Museum, Lansing, Michigan, during the fall of 2001.
This online minitour of the exhibit features one map from each of seven
themes. Visit each of the themes by clicking on the titles in the left
column. The map images were photographed under existing light
conditions in the gallery. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image.
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