* Early maps were often lost or destroyed. Records are incomplete, and many early maps have simply disappeared over time.
* Maps evolved over time. It's likely that early maps were crude sketches, and more detailed maps were created by multiple individuals over centuries.
* Indigenous peoples had their own maps. Long before European contact, Native American communities had sophisticated methods of representing their territories, often using oral traditions and other means rather than drawn maps.
However, here are some important figures in the early mapping of the East Coast:
* Viking explorers: While there is debate about the extent of their explorations, Viking voyages to North America in the 10th and 11th centuries might have resulted in some early sketches of the coastline.
* Christopher Columbus: His voyages in the late 15th century led to the first European maps of the East Coast, though they were quite inaccurate and focused on the Caribbean islands.
* Giovanni da Verrazzano: An Italian explorer who sailed for France in 1524, Verrazzano explored the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Maine, creating one of the first detailed maps of the region.
* Jacques Cartier: A French explorer who made several voyages to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the 16th century. His maps of the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf are considered significant contributions to the early mapping of the East Coast.
It's important to remember that the process of mapping the East Coast was a long and collaborative one, involving contributions from both European and Indigenous peoples. There wasn't a single "first" map, but rather a series of maps that gradually became more accurate and detailed over time.