Cartography is the study and practice of making and using maps. Historically, cartography set out to identify physical boundaries in a landscape, such as roads and land ownership. Cartography also documented more abstract information, like weather. Cartographers describe elements on a map in a way that best conveys the messages the map needs to tell, through legends or keys, often located in the corner of a map. Beginning in the early 2000s, modern cartographers started making use of GPS and other technological advances to make maps more accurate.
Battle of Rhode Island map folder Battle of Rhode Island map: Closeup #1 (1778) by United States. Continental ArmyRhode Island State Archives
Most early maps only ever depicted small areas, such as a city, a trade route, a hunting ground, etc., and were mostly pictorial in nature. While modern maps typically show north at the top, early maps were designed with no rules for their orientation.
Battle of Rhode Island map folder Battle of Rhode Island map: Full Map View #2 (1778) by United States. Continental ArmyRhode Island State Archives
Battle of Rhode Island, 1778
This map tells the story of the only battle of the American Revolution fought on land in the Colony of Rhode Island. During the 1778 Battle of Rhode Island, American colonists fought to keep the British from taking further hold of Rhode Island at Newport.
Battle of Rhode Island map folder Battle of Rhode Island map: Closeup #3 (1778) by United States. Continental ArmyRhode Island State Archives
Colonel John Sullivan commanded approximately 10,100 American soldiers during the battle. Among those were members of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, a unit consisting of African, Indigenous, and colonial soldiers, commanded by Colonel Christopher Greene.
Battle of Rhode Island map folder Battle of Rhode Island map: Closeup #6 (1778) by United States. Continental ArmyRhode Island State Archives
You can see great detail in this map, including fortifications and other landmarks that would have been important for military strategy and planning.
This is one of the many types of maps, plans, and historic documents at the Archives and is also part of the Rhode Island State Digital Archives.
Daniel Anthony Providence survey map, 1824
This early map depicts Rhode Island's capital city as it continued to grow in the early 19th century. Consistent with maps of this time, it focused on a small area, a city, and was primarily pictorial, highlighting streets and waterways.
Cushing and Walling Providence map (1849) by Cushing & WallingRhode Island State Archives
Cushing and Walling Providence map, 1849
Map of the city of Providence and parts of Johnston, North Providence, Cranston, RI, and Seekonk, MA. Details include buildings, hotels, manufacturers, fire houses, schools, churches & public buildings.
Sanborn Insurance map, July 1874
Fire insurance maps, which became popular in the 19th century, allowed for complex details about buildings to be conveyed, showing critical information that the insurance industry needed at that time to assess liability in urbanized areas of the United States.
Sanborn Insurance map (1874-07) by Sanborn-Perris Map Co.Rhode Island State Archives
These maps included outlines of not only each building but also any outbuildings, the location of windows and doors, street names, street and sidewalk widths, property boundaries, fire walls, house and block numbers, building materials used, locations of fire hydrants, locations of water and gas mains, and usually included the names of public buildings, churches, and businesses.
The most common fire insurance maps are the Sanborn Maps, published by The Sanborn Map Company, with the first map published of Boston in 1867.
A century later, in the 1960s, U.S. insurance companies stopped using maps for underwriting and the Sanborn maps were no longer a necessity. The last Sanborn Map published was in 1977.
Plat Book of Providence, 1926
Plat books, which compile a variety of maps that show the boundaries and ownership of property, have proven their value as historical records for genealogists and local historians.
There are millions of maps of various types circulating the world today. We hope you’ve enjoyed this mini-tour through the Rhode Island State Archives map collection. Maps are vital for placemaking and they remain an important vital piece of the holdings of the Rhode Island State Archives today. Many maps, including nearly all of those we showed are already available online, as are many more, through the Digital Archives. Visit the Catalog or view the Digital Archives and start exploring!
