▁volume ▁at las ▁of ▁North ▁America , ▁Atlantic ▁Ne pt une . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries , ▁expl or ers ▁mapped ▁tra ils ▁and ▁army ▁engine ers ▁survey ed ▁government ▁lands . ▁ ▁Two ▁ag encies ▁were ▁established ▁to ▁provide ▁more ▁detailed , ▁large - scale ▁mapping . ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Ge ological ▁Survey ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Coast ▁and ▁Ge od etic ▁Survey ▁( now ▁the ▁National ▁Ge od etic ▁Survey ▁under ▁the ▁National ▁Ocean ic ▁and ▁At mos pher ic ▁Association ). ▁ ▁Nin ete enth ▁century ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁travel s ▁in ▁Spanish ▁America ▁( 1 7 9 9 – 1 8 0 4 ) ▁Alexander ▁von ▁H umb old t ▁created ▁the ▁most ▁accurate ▁map ▁of ▁New ▁Spain ▁( now ▁Mexico ) ▁to ▁date . ▁Pub lished ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁Ess ai ▁politique ▁sur ▁le ▁ro yaume ▁de ▁la ▁Nouvelle - Espagne ▁( 1 8 1 1 ) ▁( Pol it ical ▁Ess ay ▁on ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁New ▁Spain ), ▁H umb old t ' s ▁Car te ▁du ▁Mex ique ▁( 1 8 0 4 ) ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁existing ▁maps ▁of ▁Mexico , ▁but ▁with ▁H umb old t ' s ▁careful ▁attention ▁to ▁latitude ▁and ▁longitude . ▁Land ing ▁at ▁the ▁Pacific ▁coast ▁port ▁of ▁A cap ul co ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 3 , ▁H umb old t ▁did ▁not ▁leave ▁the ▁port ▁area