Father Pierre Jean De Smet, the Mapmaker

Award-winning author and anthropologist Sally Thompson brings Cartography Comes Alive to life with Father Pierre Jean De Smet, the Mapmaker. In this talk, Thompson traces how a restless young Belgian Jesuit unexpectedly became one of the most influential mapmakers of the 19th century. Drawing on newly discovered illustrated field journals and decades of research, she reveals how De Smet’s maps shaped treaty negotiations, territorial boundaries, and relationships that still matter today. Audiences will gain fresh insight into the intersection of cartography, culture, and power as De Smet navigated spiritual mission, tribal diplomacy, and American expansion across the Rocky Mountains.

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Host or Publisher Xplorer Maps