A New Map of the Whole Continent of America. Divided Into North and South and West Indies, wherein are exactly Described The

A New Map of the Whole Continent of America, divided into North and South and West Indies, wherein are exactly Described the United States of North America as well as the Several European Possessions according to the Preliminaries of the Peace singed at Versailles Jan. 20 1783.

The Sayer and Bennett wall map of America issued shortly after the American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783). This map followed closely on the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the Revolutionary War and established British recognition of the independent United States.

This is the second issue of this map, published by Laurie & Whittle when they acquired the Sayer printing house

The core cartography, although much updated, is derived from Jan Baptiste D'Anville and embraces South America, Central America, the West Indies, and most of North America, excepting only the little-understood Arctic. The former colonies, now states, hug the coast with largely indistinct western boundaries giving way to long-established American Indian Nations. The ruins of various forts dating to the French and Indian War (1754 - 1763) line the Mississippi. This map also incorporates the new political boundaries formed by said treaty, including Spanish Louisiana (1762 - 1801) and Spanish Florida (1783 - 1821). Other data, particularly in the mid-Atlantic, is drawn from the records of Governor Thomas Pownall. In the Transmississippi, geography is less distinct. The cartographer has included two speculative routes for the equally speculative River of the West, one from Lake Winnipeg, and a more southerly route from a mysterious 'Pike's Lake'. A mountain chain, identified as 'Mountains of Bright Stones', likely refers to indigenous accounts of the Rocky Mountains. Further north, the map includes George's Sounds, from Cook's voyage of 1778, and the legendary Chinese colony of Fou Sang. A large inset map in the lower left details the Arctic in the vicinity of Hudson Bay, Baffin Bay, and Greenland. It is significant that Baffin Bay is presented as a large, closed bay

Robert Sayer (1725 - January 29, 1794) was an important English map publisher and engraver active from the mid to late 18th century. From about 1774, he began publishing with his apprentice, John Bennett (fl. 1770 - 1784), as Sayer and Bennett, but the partnership was not formalized until 1777. Bennett retired in 1784 following a mental collapse and the imprint reverted to Robert Sayer. From 1790, Sayer added Robert Laurie and James Whittle to his enterprise, renaming the firm Robert Sayer and Company. Ultimately, Laurie and Whittle partnered to take over his firm.

Map from Thomas Kitchin's "Kitchin's General Atlas, describing the Whole Universe," a collection of some of the most accurate maps in existence, crafted with the utmost precision, and supplemented by the earlier edition by D'Anville and Robert with the works of many other eminent geographers. Published by Laurie & Whittle in London in 1797, the atlas contains 62 engravings, including 37 maps.

Etching, contemporary outline coloring, in excellent condition.

Bibliografia

Tooley, America, p. 52, n. 3.f; D. McGuirk, The Last Great Cartographic Myth: Mer de L'Ouest, n. 112.