Geographical, Statistical, and Historical Map of North America

An uncommon edition of Carey & Lea’s map of North America defining ambitious territorial claims in the Pacific Northwest.

This map of North America was published by Henry Charles Carey & Isaac Lea in their A Complete Historical, Chronological, and Geographical American Atlas. Maps from this publication are prized not only for their detailed depiction of a changing world in the midst of an Industrial Revolution, but also for the dense text surrounding the image, which provides fascinating contemporary historical insight. It was issued in numerous editions in three different languages (English, French & German) between 1822 and 1872.

This particular example is from around 1825, and is dated according to the defined northwestern border of the enormous Missouri Territory along the parallel of 54 degrees 40′. This claim originated from the Russo-American Treaty of 1824, and would become the alleged rallying cry around expansionist presidential candidate James Polk in his 1844 campaign (Fifty four-forty or fight!).

Elsewhere in the United States, one can see a tiny Northwest Territory whose states are almost fully formed and settlement is rapidly proceeding westward across the Mississippi River. The southern regions are shown decidedly less up to date, as Mexico successfully won its war for independence from Spain in 1821 and yet is still depicted as a colonial possession in the accompanying text.

Also of note within the text is the description of the Indian Country. “In other words, the Indians still own all the northern part of what is termed Spanish America, the western part of the United States, and nearly the whole of British America. Very little is known respecting the country occupied by the Indians, many parts of it never having been explored by a white man. We know, in general, that it is inhabited by savages, who live principally by hunting and fishing, and of course that it is in a state of nature, wild and uncultivated.” Practically an invitation for European settlement and subjugation!