Dividing up a continent

DIVIDING UP A CONTINENT:

THE POLITICS OF MAPPING AMERICA

Peter HulmeDepartment of Literature, Film,

and Theatre Studies

University of Essex

Open House5 May 2010

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Martin Waldseemüller’s world map (1507)

Dividing up a continent

“Since both Asia and Africa received their names from women, I do not see why

anyone should rightly prevent this new part from being

called Amerigen—the land of Amerigo, as it were—or

America, after its discoverer, Americus, a man of

perceptive character”

Matthias Ringmann, Cosmographiae introductio

(1507)

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Martin Waldseemüller’s world map (1507)

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

North America

South America

Equator

A continent of two unequal halves

Dividing up a continent

United Nations map of the macroregions of the world

Dividing up a continent

United Nations map of the macroregions of the world

Dividing up a continent

United Nations map of the subregions of the world

Dividing up a continent

Martin Waldseemüller’s world map (1507)

Dividing up a continent

Map of the English Colonies in America prior to 1763

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Map of the English Colonies in America prior to 1763

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

From Arthur Bird, Looking Forward: A Dream of the United States of the Americas [1899]

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent

Dividing up a continent