1810 An Account of the Expeditions to the Sources of the Mississippi and through the Western Parts of Louisiana...
An Account of the Expeditions to the Sources of the Mississippi and through the Western Parts of Louisiana, to the sources of the Arkansas, Kans, La Platte, and Pierre Juan Rivers; Performed by the order of the Government of the United States During the Years 1805, 1806, and 1807 and a Tour through the Interior Parts of New Spain, when Conducted through these Provinces, by Order of the Captain-General in the Year 1807.
By: Major Zebulon M. Pike
Date: 1810 (published) Philadelphia
A first edition example complete example of Zebulon Pike’s expedition to the headwaters of the Mississippi River in present-day Minnesota and to the Colorado Front Range, south into the Spanish Territory of New Mexico. The book is complete with 6 maps (5 folding), and 3 tables (2 providing Native American population statistics and 1 providing furs obtained from the Northwest Company).
Maps contained within the book include…
1) Falls of St. Anthony: This is a small map showing in details the Fall of St. Anthony which are located adjacent to the present-day location of Minneapolis, MN. The includes measurements and notes the main chutes through the waterfalls.
2) The First Part of Capt’n Pike’s Chart of the Internal Part of Louisiana: This map features the area from where the Ohio River joins the Mississippi into the Central Plains showing the course of the Missouri, Platte, Kansas, Arkansas, and Red rivers.
3) A Chart of the Internal Part of Louisiana: This map features the Colorado Front Range, where the Platte, Arkansas, and Red Rivers, begin showing Santa Fe in the south and what would become Pike’s Peak (near present-day Colorado Sprints) in the north.
4) A Map of the Internal Provinces of New Spain: This map features much of the American Southwest, from the Gulf Coast of Texas to the Gulf of California, showing the route of the Rio del Norte (Rio Grande) to its headwaters, north of Santa Fe and much of present-day Mexico and Arizona.
5) A sketch of the Vice Royalty Exhibiting the several Provinces and its Aproximation to the Internal Provinces of New Spain: This map features much of present-day Mexico from Oaxaca in the south to Nayarit and the northern part of Vera Cruz in the north. Spanish towns and indigenous villages are noted throughout the map.
6) Map of the Mississippi River from its Source to the Mouth of the Missouri: This map features the Mississippi and some tributaries from present-day St. Louis to its headwaters in northern Minnesota.
The expedition of Zebulon Pike marks the first government sanctioned exploration into what is now the American Southwest. Launched just one year after the Lexis and Clark Expedition, the Pike expedition can be viewed as its southern counterpart that would provide a wide range of useful information during the Mexican-American War and for later expeditions into the central plains and American Southwest. The main thing lacking from the Pike expedition accomplished by Lewis and Clark was that they did not go as far as to reach the Pacific Ocean.
Condition: The book is in fine condition with contemporary marbled boards, professionally rebacked in quarter calf, gilt lettered direct on gilt-panel spine.. There is some foxing throughout the book and in the maps.
Inventory #12200
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