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Arrowsmith. J : British North America

Original Hand Coloring, Excellent;, Size : 530x627 (mm), 20.875x24.625 (Inches)

For most of the 19th century the production of maps showing new discoveries in the north part of America was dominated by the Arrowsmith firm. This firm had been established by Aaron Arrowsmith in 1790 and continued until the death of John Arrowsmith in 1873. In 1795 Arrowsmith published a large four sheet map of North America which was dedicated to the Hudson\'s Bay Company. This map is a reduced version of that larger map and it too is dedicated to the Company. As the map maker to the Hudson\'s Bay Company, Arrowsmith had access to the manuscript drafts sent to London by servants of the Company in North America.This gave him a decided advantage over his competitors with respect to information about the north part of America and enabled him to assume a position of dominance in the map trade. Arrowsmith revised his maps frequently to keep them abreast of new information. This map which was first published in 1832 was revised at least 12 times until the final version in 1858. His map of North America shows the geographical data collected by explorers such as Lewis and Clark and Zebulon Pike as readily as that gathered in the far North. Most of his data about the western area were taken from manuscript drafts prepared by David Thompson. The known parts of the north west passage are shown in fragments.
Verner ; Stubbs 222
The Western part of North America was still ill defined in terms of ownership. Since 1818 the region was held by Britain and USA, as it will be until 1846 when Oregon treaty would define the future border between USA and Canada. The boundary was finalized along the 49th parallel agreed by the Oregon treaty. British Columbia is depicted in detail (the southern portion of which would become Northern Washington State).
The map shows rivers, settlements, territories of First Nations peoples. Also depicts Upper and Lower Canada, Labrador, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.


, Verner ; Stubbs 222