A New Map of North Carolina

Mitchell’s striking 1849 map of North Carolina.

This map of North Carolina is a wonderful contemporary representation of the mid-19th century published by one of America’s most prolific cartographers of the day. It shows the state, colored by county, with an emphasis on political organization, transportation, and geographic features.

Roads, railroads, and canals – the primary avenues for transportation – are labeled according to the legend in the lower center, and distances between points are noted in many cases. Furthermore, a table of distances and profile of the Dismal Swamp Canal (the oldest operating man-made canal in the United States) can be seen along the top of the page. The upper and lower left corners contain inset maps of the mouth of the Neuse River and the Gold Region in the southwest part of the state, respectively.

The map was published by Samuel Augustus Mitchell in Philadelphia in 1849.