Amerique pour la petite Geographie methodique et le Manuel de Geographie

The Americas in 1849, from a French perspective.

This lovely engraved map of the Western Hemisphere provides an interesting geographic overview of North and South America in the mid-19th century. National boundaries are outlined with bright color, applied by hand, and both capitals and important cities are labeled throughout the image, according to the legend in the lower right.

Various toponyms reflect contemporary locations of interest, such as the Revillagigedo Islands (site of a prominent volcanic eruption in 1848), Austin, TX (temporary state capital until 1850), and El Rio Norte (Rio Grande) – the northern boundary of Mexico after the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Dotted lines show uncertain lands, notably in the Antarctic and potential routes for the Northwest Passage. Another fascinating feature is the pictorial representation of the Rocky Mountains, labeled Sierra Verde, and running in an unbroken chain across the entire hemisphere.