Rare Original 1839 Mitchell Map US & Earliest Map of Republic of Texas ca.1836

Description: Rare Early Edition ©1839 Mitchell Maps№ 4 United States & Texasshowing28 U.S. states and five U.S. TerritoriesandThe Republic of Texas № 5 Mexico & GuatimalashowingShowing the Mexican states including Upper (Alto) California and New (Nuevo) Mexicoand again a map of the Republic of Texas****This historically significant map is a short-lived snapshot of a transitional period in American history. The U.S. was in the throes of its "manifest destiny" era (to become the most powerful nation on the North America continent spanning sea to sea). In 1836 the United States recognized the breakaway Mexican state of Tejas as the independent Republic of Texas, which it would annex as state in 1846. The act of annexing Texas would precipitate the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848, ended the war between the United States and Mexico. By its terms, Mexico ceded 55 percent of its territory, including the present-day states California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. Mexico also relinquished all claims to Texas, and recognized the Rio Grande as the southern boundary with the United States. (Though dated 1839 the map shows the Republic of Texas as it was in 1835. This map seems to be based on one of the earliest Texas maps of the Republic era by J. H. Young, A NEW MAP OF TEXAS WITH THE CONTIGUOUS AMERICAN & MEXICAN STATES. Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell, 1836 and ©1835.) The southern boundary of Texas is delineated as the Rio Nueces, whereas later editions showed the boundary as the Rio de Norte (Rio Grande). The border dispute between these rivers became one of the major contentions that led to the Mexican-American War after Texas was annexed by the United States. A prominent feature shows Houston is shown as the capital of the Republic. Later maps show Austin the capital of the Republic having been established as the capital city in 1839. Several key settlements are labeled, including (San Antonio de) Bexar, the largest town in Texas, founded in 1718, and the site of the Battle of the Alamo, fought in February-March, 1836, where Texan Independence fighters made a heroic stand against the Mexican army. Others include Brazoria, Houston (selected as a temporary capital when President Sam Houston ordered the government to move there on December 15, 1836) and Nacogdoches, site of the first Spanish settlement in Texas (1716). Washington (on-the-Brazos) appears for the first time, often called the "Birthplace of Texas", where delegates declared the independence of the republic on March 2, 1836. Expanses of territory, clearly beyond the practical control of Texan authorities, are shown to be dominated by the Comanches. Other areas are labeled as "Extensive Prairies" and "Herds of Buffaloes and Wild Horses". The future state of Oklahoma, north of the Red River, is shown to be 'Indian Territory', where the U.S. Government had recently exiled Native American Nations form the Southeast during the "Trail of Tears". On the northern bank of the Red River is Fort Towson, an important U.S. army outpost guarding the so called "Permanent Indian Frontier". The southern border of Texas, as shown on the map, runs along the Nueces River, to the north of the Rio Grande. This line was historically considered to be the southern frontier of Texas, however, during the War of Independence, the Texans expanded their claims southwards to the Rio Grande to embrace the so called "Nueces Strip" or Wild Horse Strip" labeled on the map as Mustang Desert. While the Treaties of Velasco (May 14, 1836), which ended the war, recognized the Strip as belonging to Texas, the Mexican government subsequently disputed the concession. The controversy over the ownership of the Nueces Strip was used as a pretext by U.S. President James Polk to instigate the Mexican American War in 1845. The Republic of TexasThe United States recognized the Republic of Texas in 1836 but did not annex its territory.Texas was annexed and admitted as the 28th US state in 1846 but not with all the territory it claimed. The shape of Texas did not last long after it was annexed by the U.S. because Texas also claimed the Mexican state of New Mexico which the Federal government did not agree it should have. So as a part of the Compromise of 1850 Texas had to relinquish those claims in leu of a payment of $15,000,000 to pay off its past debts. Those lands plus lands carved from the newly ceded Mexican state of Upper California became the U.S. Territory of New Mexico. The remainder of Upper California became California, the 31st U.S. state, and the State of Texas took its present day shape. The inclusion of this first depction of the new Republic of Texas in Mitchell's Atlas makes it an extremely, rare and historically important map. ****Other features of the map:In 1839 Missouri was the westernmost U.S. state then bordering the Indian Territory, a large unorganized area set aside for the settlement of displaced Native American tribes. To the north lays the Iowa Territory a vast area situated between the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. Most of the area in the territory was originally part of the Louisiana Purchase and was a part of the Missouri Territory until Missouri became a state in 1821. Iowa City was designated as its official territorial capital. To the northeast of the Iowa Territory was the Territory of Wisconsin. This territory was an organized and incorporated territory that existed from July 3, 1836. In May 29, 1848, the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was initially chosen as the capital of the territory. Belmont was a small village in Iowa County with was surrounded by lead mines. Iowa County became Lafayette County in 1847. Oregon Country or the Columbia District shown on the map as the Oregon Territory was a disputed area. In 1839 it was held as a "Joint Occupation" by the U.S. and Great Britain. In 1846, the Oregon boundary dispute between the U.S. and Britain was settled with the signing of the Oregon Treaty. The British gained sole possession of north of the 49th parallel and all of Vancouver Island, with the U.S. receiving the territory south of the line. Oregon was made an incorporated territory of the United States on August, 14, 1848. Oregon became the 33rd state of the U.S. on February 14, 1859, thus setting the final northern boundary of the United States. The map still shows Virginia with its 50 western counties which would separated during the Civil War and join the Union on June 20, 1863 as the 35th State of West Virginia.It also shows the location of the numerous Native American tribes CartographersSamuel Augustus Mitchell (1792-1868) was the most prolific American map publisher of the 19th Century. Originally a school teacher, his frustration with the poor quality of educational maps led him to form his own mapmaking business. In 1830, he purchased the plates and rights to Anthony Finley's New American Atlas (1826) and hired J. H. Young, Finley's chief engraver, to improve and update the plates. He acquired the copyright for Henry S. Tanner's New Universal Atlas (1836) in 1845, and extended the life of the copperplates by having the images transferred to lithographic stone for printing. Mitchell was also a pioneer in the use of steel engraving, employing the technique in the early 1830s, almost 20 years before the general switch to steel was approximately 1850. Mitchell retired in 1860, turning the business over to his son Samuel Augustus Mitchell, Jr. The firm prospered until the 1890s. James H. Young (1817-66) was an Irish-American cartographer, draftsman and engraver who played a leading role in the creation of 19th Century American maps and atlases. Based in Philadelphia, he was at various times associated with Anthony Finley, Charles Varle, William Kneass, George Delleker, and Samuel Augustus Mitchell, amongst others. His best-known work were the maps for Finley and later Mitchell's New American Atlas. While arguably the finest map engraver in America of his day, he was far more than an artisan, but also a knowledgeable and discerning editor of sources, and a designer of maps. Walter Ristow asserted that "Young was the [S.A. Mitchell] company's principal compiler and draftsman as well as chief engraver from 1830" until the 1860s. Mitchell's School AtlasPublishersThomas, Cowperthwait & Co.©1839Atlas cover shown in the photos are not part of the salebut for documentation of the map's origin

Price: 2995 USD

Location: Bar Harbor, Maine

End Time: 2024-12-09T20:19:51.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD