Early edition of Mitchell & Young’s North America with Independent Texas

No. 3 Map of North America Engraved to Illustrate Mitchell’s School and Family Geography

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SKU: NL-00295 Categories: , Tag:
Date: 1839
Place: Philadelphia
Dimensions: 20.4 x 26.2 cm (8 x 10.3 in)
Condition Rating: VG
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Description

This nice map shows the Independent Republic of Texas in its smaller configuration along the Red and Nueces rivers, rather than the larger version extending to the 42nd parallel common on other examples of this map. Austin is shown as the capital, and San Felipe, Houston, and Bexar are located. Above Texas is the Great American Desert.

The United States extends to the Pacific with Ft. George or Astoria, Ft. Colville, and Ft. Wallah-Wallah named. The Northwest extends well into Canada geographically showing the “Fifty-four Forty or Fight” dispute with Britain.

Mexico controls California and the Southwest is Upper California with the Baja simply labeled California.

Alaska is Russian America with the Aleutian Peninsula labeled Alaska. Cook’s Inlet is well-shown. Canada is depicted as British America and New Britain.

Numerous Indian tribes, major towns, good detail of major rivers, and a vague idea of the Rocky Mountains are shown. The Great Basin is here called the Great Sandy Desert.

Engraved by J.H. Young. This early edition has a blank verso.

Cartographer(s):

J.H. Young

J.H. Young was an accomplished engraver and mapmaker based in Philadelphia and active in the first half of the 19th century.

Samuel Augustus Mitchell

Samuel Augustus Mitchell (1790 – 1868) was an American geographer and bookseller. During the middle of the 19th century, he became the dominant commercial publisher of geographic materials in America.

Mitchell worked as a teacher of geography before turning to publishing, but he found the materials available to students both antiquated and lacking, so he decided to abandon teaching in favor of producing geographic textbooks and maps. He quickly became one of America’s greatest cartographic publishers and played a decisive role in making Americans aware of their country’s geography.

Condition Description

Minor soiling primarily in the blank margins and a series of tiny holes running down the border at right.

References