August F. W. Crome

Born in 1753, August Friedrich Wilhelm Crome was originally trained for the priesthood but ultimately pursued a career in education and scholarship, with a strong emphasis on economics, geography, and history. His Neue Carte von Europa brought him considerable recognition and financial success. Encouraged by this, Crome expanded his ambitions beyond Europe.

In a letter to Benjamin Franklin, he expressed his intent to create a detailed study of the United States economy, accompanied by a large-scale, engraved map similar in style to his economic map of Europe. Though this project remained unpublished, the letter—now part of the Benjamin Franklin Papers—demonstrates Crome’s desire to apply his economic mapping techniques to other regions of the world.