Historical Maps from Boston Public Library

http://maps.bpl.org/search

Has anyone else seen these maps that date from the 1500s? I did a search on the website of the Leventhal Map Collection at the Boston Public Library, and I clicked on the map of Mexico for 1722. You can open them full screen, and move the image around and zoom in. Even with my slow dial-up, they opened up with such detail, and I could print out the enlarged sections exactly as I saw them full screen.

The maps also have comments to describe particular features of each map such as the blurb below;

"A notable feature which does not appear on the original 1703 edition, is the delineation of the tracks of Spanish galleons showing their approach from Spain along the north coast of South America, with portions of the fleet going to Cartagena (present-day Colombia), Porto Bello (Panama), and Vera Cruz (Mexico). After loading their cargo, the ships returned to Havana (Cuba), where they congregated, sailing in mass north along the Florida coast, taking advantage of the Gulf Stream on the return voyage to Spain. Interestingly, these Spanish colonial shipping routes established patterns of interaction that have influenced 20th century migrations. Ironically, Florida, which was on the periphery of the Spanish empire and served only as a supply outpost for returning fleets, is now the magnet for immigration coming from the former the Spanish colonial empire".

Emilie
Port Orchard, WA ---