1776 American Atlas: A Geographical Description Of The Whole Continent Of America

1776 American Atlas: A Geographical Description Of The Whole Continent Of America

By Thomas Jefferys, Geographer to the King, and Others. One of the most important atlases of the American Revolutionary War period. The majority of the important large scale maps of the colonies are here, appearing together for the first time after having been issued as separates by Jefferys in the 1750’s and 60’s.

As a collection, the American Atlas stands as the most comprehensive, detailed and accurate survey of the American colonies at the beginning of the Revolution.

The most important 18th century atlas for America: a “geographical description of the whole continent of America, as portrayed in the best available maps in the latter half of the eighteenth century … as a major cartographic reference work it was, very likely, consulted by American, English, and French civilian administrators and military officers during the Revolution”

  • A Chart of North and South America, including the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
  • The Russian Discoveries
  • A New and Correct map of North America, with the West India Islands.
    This version included the relevant results of the first treaty of Paris, drawn up after the end of the French and Indian War.
  • North America from the French of Mr. D’Anville, Improved with the English Surveys Made since the Peace.
  • A Map of the British Empire in North America
  • An Exact Chart of the River St.
    Laurence from Fort Frontenac to the Island of Anticosti
  • A Chart of the Gulf of St. Laurence
  • A Map of the Island of St. John in the Gulf of St. Laurence.
  • A General Chart of the Island of Newfoundland.
    Lieutenant and later Captain James Cook went on to gain renown for his three exploratory voyages in the Pacific.
  • A Chart of the Banks of Newfoundland.
    Based on the surveys of James Cook (see above), Chabert and Fleurieu.
  • A New Map of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island with the Adjacent Parts of New England and Canada.
    Originally published in 1755, at the beginning of the French and Indian War, this map “proved to be important in evaluating respective French and English claims to this part of North America”. England gained sole possession of the region by the Treaty of Paris, 1763.
  • A Map of the Most Inhabited Part of New England.
    The first large-scale map of New England. The most detailed and informative pre-Revolutionary map of New England.
  • The Provinces of New York and New Jersey, with Part of Pensilvania.
    Three insets: A plan of the City of New York, A chart of the Mouth of Hudson’s River, and A Plan of Amboy.  An important large-scale map of the Provinces of New York and New Jersey, by Samuel Holland, Surveyor General for the Northern English colonies. With fine insets including a street plan of colonial New York City.
  • A Survey of Lake Champlain, including Lake George, Crown Point and St.John.
    This very important detailed map of Lake Champlain. More usually editions of the present 1776 atlas contain the first state of this map. The Second state is to be preferred as it illustrates the very first battle fought by the U.S. Navy – the Battle of Valcour Island, which took place near present-day Plattsburgh, New York, on October 11, 1776.
  • A New Map of the Province of Quebec, according to the Royal Proclamation, of the 7th of October 1763. from the French Surveys Connected with those made after the War, by Captain Carver, and Other Officers.
  • A Map of Pennsylvania Exhibiting not only the Improved Parts of the Province but also its Extensive Frontiers.
    The first map of the Province of Pennsylvania to include its western frontier. All earlier maps had focused solely on the settled eastern parts of the colony. 
  • A Map of the Most Inhabited Part of Virginia, containing the Whole Province of Maryland … 1775.
    The basic cartographical document of Virginia in the eighteenth century … the first to depict accurately the interior regions of Virginia beyond the Tidewater. It dominated the cartographical representation of Virginia until the nineteenth century. 
  • An Accurate Map of North and South Carolina with their Indian Frontiers.
    The chief type map for the Carolinas during the forty or fifty years following its publication. It was used by both British and American forces during the Revolutionary War. 
  • The Coast of West Florida and Louisiana … The Peninsula and Gulf of Florida.
    A large-scale map of Florida, based upon the extensive surveys conducted after the region became an English possession following the 1763 Treaty of Paris.
  • Course of the Mississipi…. Taken on an Expedition to the Illinois, in the latter end of the Year 1765.
    The first large-scale map of the Mississippi River, and the first based in whole or part upon English surveys.
  • The Bay of Honduras.
  •  A Map of South America.
  • A Chart of the Straits of Magellan

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