Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession (2010)

A three-part series produced by BBC 4 

In a series about the extraordinary stories behind maps, Professor Jerry Brotton, British historian, Professor of Renaissance Studies, Queen Mary University of London uncovers how maps aren't simply about getting from A to B, but are revealing snapshots of defining moments in history and tools of political power and persuasion.

Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession – Episode 3:

Mapping the World | ( (60 min; 2010; English) | ( Click here to watch )

Director: Annabel Hobley

Professor Jerry Brotton explains how maps encouraged the plunder and conquest of far-off lands as fabled riches drove explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Walter Raleigh to the New World. He examines the founding of America and the myth of Eldorado, before discussing how cartography made international enterprise possible through the Dutch East India Company and similar ventures. Last in the series.