Sign In

Single-Sheet First State of Brué's Important Map of North America

Fine example of Brué's impressive map of North America, reduced from four-sheets to one, first published in 1815, shortly after the publication of the official account of Lewis & Clark's expedition.

The map is a remarkable amalgam of the latest cartographic information, reflecting the detailed effort of its publisher to compile information from the recent expeditions of Lewis and Clark to the West,  .  The map would be re-issued more or less annually between 1815 and 1819.  As can be seen here, by the 1819 state of the map, the evolution of the American West is quite remarkable by comparison. 

The map simultaneously shows areas of intense settlement, marked by the density of text and features, and those that were still being explored, namely the North American West, northern Texas, and the far north, including Labrador, Greenland, and Russian America. The Arctic has unfinished lines between land and sea—Greenland and Baffin Bay are not clearly differentiated, nor is Northern Canada separate from the Arctic Sea—and this area would be the main focus of European and American exploration in the nineteenth century, along with the interior of Africa.

Constructing The Map Better Than Aaron Arrowsmith's Map of The Interior Parts of North America

Although not included on this single-sheet edition, a text box on the four-sheet map lists the sources with which Brué compiled the map. Brue intended to use a comprehensive array of sources and expeditions to create a superior map of North America, addressing gaps in other important maps of North America, specifically the 1805 edition of Arrowsmith's map of North America. Unlike Arrowsmith’s map, which omits regions south of the 30th parallel—including New Mexico, New Spain, both Floridas, and the Antilles—this new map provides extensive coverage using a variety of authoritative sources.

For Russian America, details of the Bering Strait, Aleutian Islands, and Alaska were drawn from a 1802 map of the North Pacific published in St. Petersburg. The names of native groups were based on reports by Davidoff, Kaschateff, Rosanoff, and the Krusenstern expedition. The western coastlines of New Norfolk, New Cornwall, New Hanover, New Georgia, New Albion, and New California were derived from the charts of Vancouver’s voyage. Spanish possessions between 95 and 120 degrees west longitude were based on Humboldt’s maps, while those between 83 and 95 degrees west longitude were reduced from Arrowsmith’s maps of the West Indies and Jefferys’ 16-sheet map. The northern parts of New Mexico and the placement of the Rio Grande’s sources relied on Pike’s maps and explorations.

For the Antilles, the Lesser Antilles were mapped using a 1802 Spanish marine chart, while the Greater Antilles, Lucayan Islands, and Florida coasts were based on three maps from the same Spanish source, corrected in 1806 and 1809. Interior details for these islands were gathered from Jefferys’ maps, Arrowsmith’s four-sheet map, and his map of the Caribbean islands.

In the United States, state-specific maps provided essential data: New Hampshire by Samuel Holland, Rhode Island by Harris (1795), Vermont by Whitelaw (1809), Ohio by Mansfield, Maryland by Griffith (1794), Kentucky by Barker, and Pennsylvania by Howell. The map also incorporated data from Lafond’s 1806 map for the territories of Orleans, West Florida, and Mississippi. The western territories, including the Mississippi River up to its source, were informed by Pike’s explorations. For Louisiana, the map primarily drew from the English editions of the Lewis and Clark expedition and Pike’s travels, with additional details of the Red River taken from Lafond.

The British possessions were mapped using Lane’s map of Newfoundland, Arrowsmith’s map of Labrador, and Dalrymple’s map of Hudson Bay and Baffin Bay. Northern Canada relied on Mackenzie’s map of 1789 and Hearne’s 1771 expedition, with adjustments made based on discrepancies in their positions. For Upper Canada, Smith’s single-sheet map and Arrowsmith’s general map of Canada were referenced. The map of the Columbia River and its tributaries was compiled from Lewis and Clark’s data for the southern sections and Arrowsmith’s map for the eastern and northern portions.

Lastly, Saint-Domingue was mapped using French marine charts, Moreau de Saint-Méry’s works, and Herbin’s map included in Statistique de la France. By integrating these varied sources, this map achieves a detailed and accurate portrayal of North America that surpasses its predecessors.