Text by John Mayer Images from Maine Historical Society, Maine
State Museum, and Dyer Library Archives/Saco Museum Native
people had occupied the place we now call Maine for centuries
before European discovery. During the period of colonial
settlement, the region was one of many overlapping national,
corporate and private land claims in the North American
colonies. Even after the Revolutionary War, these conflicts
influenced Maine's shape, a process that continues today. Maps
provide graphic and vital evidence for this story, revealing
some of the dramatic events that have determined the shape of
Maine. This exhibit is based on one in the Maine Historical
Society Museum from June to December 2003. That exhibit was
sponsored by the Maine Humanities Council and L.L. Bean.