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

The southeastern United States less than two decades after the start of the American Revolution.

This magnificent map of the southern United States presents a detailed overview of the region just over a decade after formal independence was confirmed with the Treaty of Versailles (1783). Topography is depicted pictorially and the toponyms present a wealth of information on place names, geographic features, and territorial possession.

The borders of North Carolina and South Carolina reflect earlier British political organization, but Georgia’s outline shows an interesting truncation that halts at the Little River and reflects the concession of western territorial claims. Of particular interest are the 15 square miles of Catawba lands, deeded by King George III in 1763. The Spanish are shown retaining control of East and West Florida, as well as the Louisiana Territory. Remaining American lands (green) are unorganized and show a fascinating variety of Native American tribes, villages, and popular travel routes.

Just a few years after the map’s publication, the Treaty of Tellico would be signed between the federal government and representatives of the Cherokee Nation, opening the door for policies of forced removal that would culminate with the Trail of Tears in the 1830s. Inset plans of St. Augustine, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina are present, as well as an early reference to the Gulf Stream in the Florida Straits.

The map was published in London in 1794 by Robert Laurie and James Whittle. The image is based largely on a map created by Bernard Romans for British officers of the American Revolutionary War.

Rumsey 2310.088, University of Miami Old Florida Maps, Carolyn Osborne Charting the Gulf Stream.