![[First State of the Popple Key Sheet] A Map of the British Empire in America with the French and Spanish Settlements adjacent thereto by Hen. Popple. By Henry Popple](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/92714.jpg)
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Key Sheet Map for Henry Popple's Monumental Wall Map of the British Empire in North America
A gorgeous hand-colored example of Henry Popple's Key Sheet, which was sold separately and bound in with his 20-sheet map of North America, one of two most important general maps of North America issued during the 18th century.
Henry Popple worked with the Board of Trade & Plantations in 1727, during a period when boundary disputes in the colonies began to accelerate the need for detailed maps. In 1730, the Board began requesting detailed maps of the entirety of the provinces and contiguous French and Spanish Dominions. Popple issued an announcement for the map in 1731 but did not complete the work until 1733. The map was not a commercial success and did not sell well until after William Henry Toms and Samuel Harding took over the publication in 1739. With the outbreak of the War of Jenkin's Ear, the map saw its commercial successes soar. In 1746, the rights to the map passed to Willdey and Austen, who published it until Austen's death in 1750.
The map includes 4 views (New York Harbour, Québec, México City, and Niagara Falls) and 17 Harbour Plans. The cartographic significance of the map is the subject matter of a number of books and articles. In short, it is the most important map of the Colonies to date and an essential map for collectors.
States of the Key Map:
State 1: No imprint below the neatline
State 2: Harding imprint added
State 3: Place-names added (This example.)
State 4: Track of Spanish Galleons
State 5: Austen imprint
State 6: Dedicated to King
State 7: Steel imprint
State 8: Title: NORTH AMERICA
State 9: Steel imprint removed
