1783 A Map of the United States of America as settled by the peace treaty of 1783
By: Lucas Fielding
Date: December 1, 1783 (dated) London
Dimensions: 8.25 x 10 inches (21 x 25.5 cm)
The first English map to recognize the United States of America independent from the British Empire.
This important map was one of the first instances public recognition of American Independence. It was published in the European Magazine, by John Fielding, December 1, 1783.
The map shows the newly recognized country with the original thirteen colonies as well as Maine (shown with interesting borders). The southern states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia extend west, past the "Ancient Boundary," to the Mississippi River. What would soon become the Northwest Territory is filled with old French forts and Native American tribes. Just south of Lake Erie and Ontario lies the "Confederate Indians," also known as the Iroquois Nation, which was comprised of the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora tribes.
The northern border of the United States bisects four of the five Great Lakes and runs just north of Royal Island in Lake Superior, a specific location negotiated by Benjamin Franklin during the Treat of Paris. Several false islands remain in Lake Superior and are for the first time shown divided between the two countries. A last interesting border can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, limiting the extent of coastal waters belonging to the United States. This was important at the time as cod fishing was still very much a lucrative industry in which several countries were heavily invested.
Condition: This map is in B+ condition with what appear to be three staple holes in the right border and two small fold separations, one of which just enters the border. Both have been reinforced on the verso with archival materials.
Inventory #11523
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