Spreading the Maps

This article deals with the nautical charts of the Great Lakes, made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the second half of the 19th century. It explores the role of these documents in the capitalist transformation of this risky border region from 1850 to 1882. As army engineers needed support to distribute their charts more widely to captains, they connected with insurance companies, whose control over ships and trade was getting stronger. On the one hand, government charts became major tools for the insurers’ financial activities. On the other hand, army engineers benefited from insurers to develop their distribution policy. This study suggests to what extent state-building and capitalism went hand in hand on the U.S. maritime borders.