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A handsome example of the 1861 second edition of The Washington Map of the United States, originally created by Matthew Fontaine Maury. Published by Taintor & Company in Philadelphia, the map covers the entirety of the United States, as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and the West Indies. This edition follows the outbreak of the Civil War, during which Maury, a Confederate, left his government post with the National Observatory to join the Southern uprising. Consequently, many of Maury's original embellishments, including his own portrait, were replaced with vignettes of significant American landmarks such as the U.S. Capitol and Mount Vernon.

The title is adorned with a central, prominent portrait of George Washington and the map itself is surrounded by various detailed vignettes and thematic maps. Between the vignettes of Mt. Vernon and the Capitol, there is a hemispherical map of the world, complete with comparative charts of the world's great mountains and waterfalls. The left and right margins feature medallion busts of U.S. Presidents, while the top and bottom margins are enriched with various inset maps and charts.

Notable inset maps include Hitchcock's Geological map of the U.S., Lorin Blodget's map of annual rainfall, and Traill Green's zoology map. Above the title, a vignette of the Washington Monument is depicted, along with a table of "air-line" distances between various cities. Along the bottom, there is a vignette view of New York from Williamsburg, a detailed table from the 1860 U.S. Census, and a large demographic map illustrating agricultural staples (including cotton in the South) and the distribution of plants across the United States. Additional details include data visualization on religious denominations within the country.

The cartography of this map is derived from a combination of U.S. Coast and Land Survey maps and earlier maps of the United States. As Superintendent of the National Observatory, Maury had access to the most up-to-date cartographic information compiled by the U.S. Government. The map's treatment of the Transmississippi region is particularly noteworthy, reflecting changes post-Colorado (1860) and before the establishment of Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. It includes the explorations of Beckwith and others associated with the proposed transcontinental railroad, detailing routes for the Northern Pacific and Central railways, the Pony Express, and various emigrant and wagon routes between the Mississippi River valley and West Coast cities. The Colorado silver mining region is also prominently identified.

This map, issued during the Civil War era, stands out as an one of the most iconic American wall maps, capturing a critical moment in American history through its detailed and comprehensive cartographic presentation.