I am interested in mapmaking in the 1760 - 1800 period (beginning of US Coast Survey) and can 't find much on standardized techniques or even occasional one beside estimating from latitude.
In a place like Florida, there couldn't even be much of an opportunity for triangulation, not that any instruments existed that were that accurate.
Here's a link to one of the more decent maps:
https://www.loc.gov/item/75692297/
https://www.loc.gov/item/75692297/&apos ;">
How were those maps made?
You gotta give France and England a high-five on topo mapping. And from there the history of triangulation and geodesy. And of course the Great Arc of India.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cartography
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_Survey
If you want to waste hours.....
http://mapire.eu/en/
http://mapire.eu/en/map/firstsurvey/?layers=osm%2C1%2C73&bbox=-182838.07314475882%2C5079681.81539139%2C3243986.778936263%2C7190566.788514817&apos ;">The Habsburg First Military Survey 1763-1787
Zoom in for detail like this
http://mapire.eu/en/map/cadastral/?layers=osm%2C43%2C44&bbox=-476050.5136466671%2C4547089.677016175%2C4220240.504194562%2C6743584.121819&apos ;">Habsburg Cadastral Maps From 1822
Possibly the worlds first tax maps
The key to mapping in that time period was the development of accurate chronometers to allow for the accurate determination of longitude at sea. These were key to the success of Captain Cook's mapping expeditions around the world. A very good read on the subject is this.
My understanding is that the majority of maps prepared in that era were military in nature frequently relying upon the plane table for essentially tracing the topography in the field, but the large scale mapping involved determining accurate latitude and longitude in the field using celestial observations and ephemerides in combination with careful compass and dead reckoning surveys. Another good read that sheds some light on the techniques employed is ''Epic Wanderer" by David Thompson.
I've often marveled at charting done by Cpt. Cook in that time period, some of his charts for waters in Alaska have been relied upon up until very recently.
As it stands, not that much has changed as all of our modern satellite based mapping is dependent upon extremely accurate time keeping, so the short answer is a very accurate clock.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
James Fleming, post: 450292, member: 136 wrote: If you want to waste hours.....
http://mapire.eu/en/http://mapire.eu/en/map/firstsurvey/?layers=osm%2C1%2C73&bbox=-182838.07314475882%2C5079681.81539139%2C3243986.778936263%2C7190566.788514817&apos ;">The Habsburg First Military Survey 1763-1787
Zoom in for detail like this
http://mapire.eu/en/map/cadastral/?layers=osm%2C43%2C44&bbox=-476050.5136466671%2C4547089.677016175%2C4220240.504194562%2C6743584.121819&apos ;">Habsburg Cadastral Maps From 1822
Possibly the worlds first tax maps
I've seen these, they blow me away. For the times, they're incredible.
Can you tell me what their instruments and techniques were?
Where did the tax map come from?
wfwenzel, post: 450988, member: 7180 wrote: I've seen these, they blow me away. For the times, they're incredible.
Can you tell me what their instruments and techniques were?
Where did the tax map come from?
I don't know much about their history, I don't even remember what I was looking for when I first found the cadasteral maps (probably looking for information on the history of title registration.)
I found this dissertation online and bookmarked to read over the winter
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/25241/1/Madalina_Veres_-_Constructing_Imperial_Spaces_-_ETD_1.pdf
I actually want to learn more about the history of the entire region. I don't remember much mention of it in school, but I'm becoming increasingly convenced that what we think of as western civilization (especially from the late Middle Ages thru the enlightenment) exists solely through the sacrifice of the Byzantine, Holy Roman, and Habsburg empires that were bled dry holding the Ottoman Empire out of Europe for over 500 years.
Yeah, when you think about it, how civilization got all they way to here is a rather tenuous thing. Spooky.
I'd give plenty to find cadastral info from 19th century Prussia. They had to be thorough.