State Historian Susan Schulten on the maps that shaped — and distorted — Colorado’s history

By Ryan Warner and Hayley Sanchez
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20min 23sec
1859 map showing routes from Missouri River to the Pikes Peak gold region, promoting outfitting points like St. Louis.
Courtesy of Wes Brown
An 1859 “New Map of the Pikes Peak Gold Region,” centered on St. Louis and intended to promote access to the Colorado gold fields.

Susan Schulten in front of a red background, smiling and wearing glasses with a navy blue shirt.
Courtesy Carrie Wigglesworth

Drawing of a map showing safe places for Black Americans to travel in the Jim Crow era.
Courtesy Edward González-Tennant

Hand-drawn deerskin map from around 1720, depicting tribal nations of the Southeast with circular representations and symbolic connections.
Courtesy of the British Library

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