A New and General Map of the Middle Dominions Belonging to the United States of America…

One of the finest maps of the Ohio River Valley published during the 18th century.

This detailed map of the northern United States was created in London by Robert Laurie and James Whittle in 1794 and issued in various editions of Thomas Kitchin’s New Universal Atlas. The image is an updated version of Lewis Evan’s foundational mid-century map of the British colonies, described by Barry Lawrence Ruderman as follows;

“Evan’s map, along with the maps of North America by Henry Popple and John Mitchell, are widely considered to be the most important and influential maps of the British Colonies published in the 18th Century. The map was originally sent to the London Board of Trade in 1751 and used by General Braddock during the French & Indian War. The map was later published by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia, in 1755.

Henry Stevens documents 18 states of the map, of which this example is a so-called pirated edition by Laurie & Whittle. The map was the first to show oil in Pennsylvania, first to show coal in Ohio, and the first to accurately map the trans-Appalachian and Ohio River region. Evans map is a towering landmark in the history of American Cartography and the subject of numerous scholarly texts.”

In addition to updating the title cartouche, Laurie & Whittle added various toponyms, political boundaries, and a handful of annotations that reflect the contemporary political realities post-Treaty of Paris (1783). Even so, remnants of the outdated image remain, such as the first word in the Province of Quebec situated on American lands.

Original color distinguishes the interesting territorial claims of Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, and the New England states. Kentucky is labeled, though incorrectly situated north of the Ohio River and an inset map of the future Northwest Territory can be seen in the upper left. Native American tribes, frontier settlements, popular travel routes with accompanying distances, and various annotations are scattered throughout, providing a fascinating snapshot of early America near the end of the 18th century.

References: Stevens, H. Lewis Evans His Map, XVIII, Tooley, R.V. Mapping of America, p. 92, McCorkle #794.6, Huntington Library 430114, Barry Lawrence Ruderman Rare Maps