Map of the United States and Their Territories Between the Mississippi and the Pacific Ocean and Part of Mexico - An important map of the American West published after the Gadsden Purchase.

William Emory

Publication Date: 1857

About this Item

"This impressive map of the United States west of the Mississippi River reflects the latest surveys performed along the newly established Mexican-American border by a party led by William H. Emory, an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers. Shortly after the Gadsden Purchase of 1854, Emory was assigned to lead the American boundary commission established to determine the exact line of demarcation and spent nearly two years performing the requisite surveys. The results, seen here, are among the most detailed cartographic representations of the West until after the Civil War. Delicately engraved topography and geographic features dominate much of the image, but important transportation routes, settlements, and fortifications are also named throughout. Vast swathes of unexplored territory are labeled across the Southwest and Pacific Northwest, east of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. Both the pre and post-Gadsden purchase boundaries are outlined, with accompanying annotations and dates providing additional context on the convoluted process of mapping the border. The map was drawn by Thomas Jekyll under the authority of Lieutenant N. Michler. Engraved by Selmar Siebert and published in Washington, D.C. in 1857 by Cornelius Wendell as part of Emory's Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, Made Under The Direction of the Secretary of the Interior. Sources: Wheat 916; Rumsey 026.001" Sheet Width (in) 24.7 Sheet Height (in) 22.4 Condition Description Light wear along originally issued fold lines, including one crease in the upper left. Minor wear, light toning, and a few small chips visible in the margins. Two tears, also confined to the margins, have been repaired on the verso with archival tape. Very good overall. Seller Inventory # 3986

Bibliographic Details

Title: Map of the United States and Their ...

Publication Date: 1857

Condition: Fine