Map wars: The role of maps in the Nova Scotia/Acadia boundary disputes of 1750

Abstract The Treaty of Aix‐La‐Chapelle which ended the War of Austrian Succession in 1748 returned the European claims in North America to the status quo ante bellum established by the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713. This caused particular problems for the French and the English, both claimants to the area known as Acadia, or Nova Scotia. A boundary commission was established to study the claims and establish a boundary. The memorials of their negotiations reveal their attitude towards maps as evidence or proof of sovereignty.