EPISODE · May 20, 2026 · 16 MIN
The Mapmaker's Mistake That Built an Empire
from The Rest of History · host Podcaster
A single cartographer's error in 1783 convinced Thomas Jefferson that the Louisiana Purchase was worth pursuing—but the 'mistake' wasn't actually wrong, and the mapmaker knew it. How one Frenchman's carefully planted deception doubled the size of America and changed the fate of Napoleon's European wars. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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A single cartographer's error in 1783 convinced Thomas Jefferson that the Louisiana Purchase was worth pursuing—but the 'mistake' wasn't actually wrong, and the mapmaker knew it. How one Frenchman's carefully planted deception doubled the size of America and changed the fate of Napoleon's European wars.
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The Mapmaker's Mistake That Built an Empire
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