Geographical, Statistical, and Historical Map of Louisiana

Fascinating map of Louisiana issued in Carey & Lea’s influential atlas of America.

Bright original color, applied by hand, vividly delineates the early parish configuration and settlement patterns of Louisiana. Large regions in the northern and eastern regions reflect sparse populations, while the majority of urban areas are concentrated along the Mississippi River. The extensive wetlands at the mouth of the mighty river are depicted pictorially and described in the accompanying text as “nothing can appear more dreary than the prospect from a ship’s mast, while passing this immense waste.”

Elsewhere on the map, one can see forts, Native American villages, labeled geographic features, and a flag planted near New Orleans representing the several historic battles that took place there. The title claims of Baron Bastrop, Maison Rouge, and others are noted in the north.

Surrounding the map are numerous paragraphs of text and tables of statistics detailing the state’s economy, history, demographics, and geography. It was engraved by Kneass and issued as sheet number 31 in the 1824 edition of Carey & Lea’s Complete Historical, Chronological, and Geographical American Atlas.