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Description

Highly detailed map of the United States, featuring the State of Franklin.

This 1812 edition of the map is perhpas the most historically interesting of the Wilkinson's maps, which were first issued circa 1806. In addition to the inclusion of the short-lived "Franklina,", located between "Tennassee and North Carolina," the present map is one of the earliest maps to show Alabama Territory (fromed August 15, 1817), Mississippi Territory (formed in 1804, but present configuration dating to 1817) , Illinois Territory (formed March 1, 1809) and Indiana Territory (July 4, 1800), which were not present in the earlier editions of the map.

The history of Franklinia is a fascinating one. In the latter part of the 18th Century, the settlers in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee decided that because of poor representation in State Government, they needed to form a state of their own. A government was formed and initial organizational meetings conducted, but the breakaway state was quickly quelled by the North Carolina authorities, although not before the State of Franklinia began appearing on a number of English maps during the period. Ben Franklin himself responded that while he was honored by the decision to name a state after him, he was not able to relocate.

Robert Wilkinson was active in London as a cartographic publisher from 1785 to 1825. He produced a number of nice works, including a General Atlas and a re-issuance of Bowen & Kitchen's English Atlas, along with excellent large format separate maps.

Reference
The Map Collector, 72, Baynton-Williams, p.12, map 15.