A Map of America between Latitudes 40 and 70 North, and Longitudes 45 and 180 West.

An important map documenting early discoveries across North America.

Alexander Mackenzie, a Scottish explorer of considerable renown, etched his name into the annals of North American exploration through two seminal expeditions. In 1789, he achieved the remarkable feat of completing the first recorded transcontinental crossing of North America north of Mexico. Launching from Fort Chipewyan in Alberta, Canada, Mackenzie traversed the continent, culminating his journey at the Pacific Ocean near Bella Coola, British Columbia. Following this triumph, Mackenzie undertook a subsequent expedition in 1793, navigating the treacherous waters of the river that now bears his name, the Mackenzie River, and reaching the Arctic Ocean.

Both routes are shown on this map, published in London around 1801 as part of “Voyages from Montreal, on the River St. Laurence, Through the Continent of North America.” Numerous Native American tribes are labeled, in addition to a fascinating variety of geographic features, trading posts, and portages. Incomplete coastlines seen in several places within the Artic Circle reflect the lack of geographic certainty, while annotations reflect the findings of other navigators like Samuel Hearne and Christopher Middleton. An important map documenting early discoveries across North America.