From the earliest depiction of Florida on the 1511 Martyr Map to a 21st-century view of Florida from space, this presentation shows the dramatic changes that have occurred in the Sunshine State over the past 500 years through historic maps.

Rodney Kite-Powell is the Director of the Touchton Map Library at the Tampa Bay History Center. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida and a Master of Arts from the University of South Florida, both in U.S. history. He wrote and lectured on state and local history and is the author of three books: History of Davis Islands: David P. Davis, and the Story of a Landmark Tampa Neighborhood, The Governors of Florida, and Tampa Bay’s Waterfront: Its History and Development.

Funding for this Florida Talks program is provided in part by Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and in partnership with the W.T. Bland Public Library. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.