Author Archives: Aleks Kowalchuk

Sources and Ideas

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I’m still not 100% decided on my question, however, I know the topic is going to include the use of cartography in this era of colonialism. My list of sources isn’t final, but I’ve been looking at using the following:

My primary source will probably be Universalis cosmographia secundum Ptholomaei traditionem et Americi Vespucii aliorumque lustrationes. (Its a mouthful, but it is a map from around 1507, with perhaps the first depiction of the Americas.)

My secondary sources are a little less unique:

Urban Cartography in Latin America during the Colonial Period.

Cartography and Power in the Conquest and Creation of New Spain.

Cartography as a Tool of Colonization.

Theory and the History of Cartography.

What I’d Like to Learn

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During this semester, there are a couple things that I would like to learn in this class. The most important thing is that I would like to learn more about how Latin America, and its colonization, impacted the European world, as in previous classes I’ve mostly only learned of its impact on the United States. Understanding its impact is vital to understanding how it shaped the world as we know it today, and I would like to learn more about this.

I would also like to learn more from the points of view of the natives, as I have generally only read and looked at European documents and ideas before now. Understanding diverse cultures and ideals will help me to open my eyes, and look at things from a new angle.