A new chart of the world: on Wright's or Mercator's projection, in which are exhibited all the parts hitherto explored or discovered with the tracks of the British circumnavigators Byron, Wallis, ..., unknown maker

Exhibition Label: "Climate Change at the Poles," Jan-2009, Kate Meyer, Jennifer Talbott, and Angela Watts The many routes shown on this map indicate the dominance of the British Royal Navy that began in the 1700s, which was accompanied by technological innovations in cartographic calculation. While latitude is relatively easy to calculate based on the position of the sun or charted stars, the calculation of longitude requires accurate knowledge of the time at a fixed reference point and at the location of the observer. The Royal Observatory at Greenwich served as the fixed reference for British explorers, who were aided by advancements in marine timepieces. Other nations also utilized these British calculations, a cultural influence which eventually culminated in the adoption of Greenwich as the Prime Meridian and International Date Line.