Primary Source Set

Analyzing Maps

One of the ways people understand space and geography is through the creation of maps. A tool used to document locations, maps began to be used by more and more people after the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. This primary source set provides examples of North Carolina maps from three centuries to show how the state and its geographic documentation practices have evolved throughout history. 

Time Period

18th-21st Centuries

Grade Level

3 – 6

Sanborn Insurance Maps of Winston-Salem, North Carolina (1907)

For about 100 years, the Sanborn Map Company created maps of towns and cities throughout the United States. These maps helped insurance companies locate areas and buildings that were in danger of having fires that could damage property or potentially hurt people. These maps use symbols and colors to share information. Guides can help piece together aspects of the map to understand the information on the map. This is a map of Winston Salem, North Carolina and was created in 1907.

Contributed to DigitalNC by Forsyth County Public Library

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Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Forsyth County)

Analyzing Maps

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Background

With the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, maps became a popular tool for documenting geography and understanding the world. The first maps of North Carolina during this time were by sailors using maps to record information about the North Carolina coast. Some of the earliest maps focus on British settlements around Cape Fear and the surrounding Native American communities. The maps you will see here are influenced by European cartography (or mapmaking) practices. 

Maps have a lot of information. They are often flat representations of a place that use symbols to illustrate where things are located. Landscapes, roads, weather patterns, and animal habitats are a few examples of information you might find on a map. You may also find a key, a title, and a scale to help you better understand the map’s context and the meaning of certain symbols. If you think about all of the parts of a map together, it will be easier to understand. Knowing a map’s historical time period, its creator (a cartographer), and the people for whom the map was made can also help you understand a map.

Discussion Questions

  1. What do you see in this map?

  2. What area of North Carolina does it represent?

  3. What type of map is this? What type of information does it feature (geographic, economic, topographic, etc.)?

  4. Are there aspects of the map that clue you into its time period, social context, or purpose?

  5. Does the map have any informational features (scale, annotations, key)? What kind of context do these features provide? 

  6. What type of materials or tools might have been used to create this map?

  7. Can you find a current, digital map of the same location? What similarities and differences do you notice?

This primary source set was compiled by Sarah Costello Dwyer.

Updated January 2025