Crossroads of Empire: Early Printed Maps of the American Southwest

Crossroads of Empire: Early Printed Maps of the American Southwest features fourteen panels spanning the mapmaking enterprise from 1512 to 1873. It begins with the earliest known map to show the Texas edge of the Gulf and ends with an 1873 map of Texas showing the right-of-way granted to railroads. Panel topics include:

• Cabeza de Vaca in the desert
• Maps from the 1500s
• Early mapmaking techniques
• Spanish explorers
• California as an island
• Plagiarism in maps
• La Salle's fatal venture
• Spanish missions
• Early nineteenth century maps of the Southwest
• Views of Texas territory
• Maps for settlers
• Railroads and Native American tribes
• Map of the United States, 1854

Crossroads of Empire is an exhibition organized by the Amon Carter Museum and The University of Texas at Arlington Library, and produced by Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.