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EPISODE · May 22, 2026 · 15 MIN

The Mapmaker's Mistake That Saved America

from The Rest of History · host Podcaster

In 1782, a sleep-deprived French cartographer's penmanship error gave the United States an extra 31,000 square miles and set the stage for westward expansion. What should have been a minor treaty revision became the foundation of Manifest Destiny—all because someone couldn't read their colleague's handwriting. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 22, 2026

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In 1782, a sleep-deprived French cartographer's penmanship error gave the United States an extra 31,000 square miles and set the stage for westward expansion. What should have been a minor treaty revision became the foundation of Manifest Destiny—all because someone couldn't read their colleague's handwriting.

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The Mapmaker's Mistake That Saved America

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