Nouvelle Carte des Etats-Unis de L’Amerique du Nord

Rare French map of the U.S. near the height of the Civil War.

This scarce French-language map of the United States was originally designed in 1861, near the start of the American Civil War, but this second edition was likely published in 1863 or 1864, based on the presence of the defined Arizona Territory in the lower right inset. At the time, Emperor Napoleon III was considering recognizing Confederate sovereignty, in part to negotiate a peace that would lead to the re-opening of southern cotton markets. Furthermore, the French were fighting to establish the Second Mexican Empire under Maximilian I, further cementing military and political interest in the continent.

These contemporary events are largely absent from the detailed image, which provides a fascinating overview of the U.S. in the midst of its bloodiest conflict. Immediately apparent is the incredible disparity of railroad trackage between the Union and Confederate states. The accompanying population table on the right side also shows the Northern states to have a clear advantage in demographics. Native American tribes, battle sites (from earlier conflicts), settlements (including a number of forts and trading posts), and geographic features are labeled throughout in an unconventional mix of French and English.

Numerous projected railroads, explorers’ trails, and other notable routes are also identified. Of particular interest is the two ‘route postal de San Francisco’ representing the iconic Pony Express and the less-known Butterfield Overland Mail-Trail. Inset maps in the lower right show the southern part of Florida and the western states and territories, respectively.

The delineation of the latter is the primary difference between this (second) edition and the first, engraved by P.A. Hahn and lithographed in Geneva by Pilet and Cougnard in 1861. It is known in only two examples, located at the Bibliotechque National de France and the Bibliotechque de Geneva. I have been unable to locate any other examples of the second edition in OCLC or other online repositories.

Sources: OCLC: 494683247; BnF; Fondation Napoleon