"The Best Collection of Facts in General, for a Future Historian, that Was Ever Made or Published" -- John Huskey, 1755
This is a fascinating and important Boston-published work from the late-Colonial period, a year into the French and Indian War. Intriguing in many regards, it paints a detailed and thorough picture of the British colonies in North America.
The work goes through each colony, with a particular focus on their politics. Many references to the growing French power in North America are made. The controversial views of the author, William Douglass, M.D., sometimes seep into this work, particularly his opposition to inoculations. However, his skepticism for accepted knowledge means that this work appears to be less influenced by earlier texts than other works of the period.
Jeffery's North America from the French of Mr. D'Anville
This is a fascinating and politically charged map of the future eastern United States, published on the eve of the Seven Years' War. The map was published as a British response to supposed infringements by the French throughout North America, listing the various crimes perpetrated by the latter during the on-going French and Indian War. Published in the short period between the start of the two wars, this is an important map that reflects British and colonial public sentiment during what Churchill called the "first world war."
The upper left details French encroachments into the territory claimed by England, dating to as early as the attempted French conquest of New York in 1687. In the lower right, British claims in North America are detailed, alongside any encroachments. A note in the cartouche explains that "Canada & the French Incroachments" are shown in yellow, Spanish settlements in Green, and English colonies in other colors, though this example was never colored. It is not difficult to draw parallels between this map and the propaganda maps published in the days and years prior to the nationalistic wars of the 20th century.
In addition to the map's fascinating political history, the map is an important cartographic achievement of the time. The map is rich with details west of the Appalachians, including Indian Tribes, early forts, and other contemporary information. Main[e] is named, and [New] Hampshire takes up all of Vermont. Massachusetts Bay and Delaware Bay are named. Detail in the American South and Florida is intriguing. The region west of the Mississippi is dominated by Spanish Louisiana Territory, with the lands between the Mississippi and the Appalachians controlled by Indian Tribes.
This is the first state of the map, with the date of May 1755 and with only Jefferys imprint. The second state would appear around 1763 and have a Sayer & Bennett imprint added. Three additional maps are advertised in the introduction to the second volume, however, we were unable to locate examples of the work with these maps.
Text
Volume I: Title Page. i-viii. 1-568. Signatures: A⁴. B-Mm⁸ (T repeated), Nn⁴.
Volume II: [1-6] including title page. 1-416. 1-8 (publisher's advertisement). Signatures: A⁴, B-Dd⁸.
Thomas Jefferys (c. 1719–1771) was a prolific map publisher, engraver, and cartographer based in London, known for his significant contributions to the cartography of North America and the West Indies during the 18th century. Jefferys was born to a cutler but was apprenticed to Emanuel Bowen, a prominent mapmaker and engraver. He gained his freedom from the Merchant Taylors’ Company in 1744, although he had already produced maps under his name as early as 1732. Throughout his career, Jefferys collaborated with several partners, including Thomas Kitchin, with whom he published The Small English Atlas in 1748-9, and Robert Sayer, with whom he co-created A General Topography of North America in 1768. Sayer also published posthumous collections featuring Jefferys' work, such as The American Atlas, The North-American Pilot, and The West-India Atlas.
Jefferys served as the Geographer to Frederick, Prince of Wales, and from 1760, to King George III. His role primarily involved supplying maps to the royal family, particularly during the height of the Seven Years' War, which spurred demand for detailed and accurate maps of North America. Jefferys not only sold maps commercially but also maintained connections with government bodies for whom he produced specialized materials, further solidifying his status in the map trade.
Despite his success and royal appointments, Jefferys faced financial difficulties, leading to bankruptcy in 1766. His business and map plates were eventually acquired by Robert Sayer and other associates. Upon Jefferys' death in 1771, his workshop passed to his son, Thomas Jr., and his partner, William Faden. Although Jefferys was known primarily as an engraver, producing illustrations and drawings in addition to maps, his contributions to the field of cartography remain his most enduring legacy.
Jefferys had no formal geographical training, and his early work was largely confined to engraving maps compiled by others or revising existing plates. However, his collaboration with John Green, a skilled cartographer also known as Bradock Mead, significantly enhanced his reputation. Mead, an Irishman with a complex personal history, was known for his expertise in map-making and was instrumental in creating some of the detailed maps that Jefferys published, including the influential New Map of Nova Scotia and Cape Britain in 1755. Mead's work underpinned much of Jefferys' acclaim as a leading map publisher of his time.
From 1750 onwards, Jefferys began to focus on maps of America, a region of increasing interest to British audiences. His notable works included a series of maps detailing North America, which bolstered his reputation as the preeminent map and chart supplier of his era. He continued to produce maps even after his financial collapse, but his later years were marked by financial instability. Despite this, his maps were in high demand and were republished by Sayer and Bennett, his former associates, who continued to use Jefferys' name to ensure commercial success.
Jefferys' legacy is characterized by his comprehensive atlases and detailed maps that captured the geographic and political landscapes of the 18th century. His work remains significant not only for its historical and cartographic value but also for its role in the broader narrative of colonial expansion and exploration. His contributions, preserved through subsequent editions and reprints, solidified his place as one of the leading figures in the history of cartography.
Thomas Jefferys (c. 1719–1771) was a prolific map publisher, engraver, and cartographer based in London, known for his significant contributions to the cartography of North America and the West Indies during the 18th century. Jefferys was born to a cutler but was apprenticed to Emanuel Bowen, a prominent mapmaker and engraver. He gained his freedom from the Merchant Taylors’ Company in 1744, although he had already produced maps under his name as early as 1732. Throughout his career, Jefferys collaborated with several partners, including Thomas Kitchin, with whom he published The Small English Atlas in 1748-9, and Robert Sayer, with whom he co-created A General Topography of North America in 1768. Sayer also published posthumous collections featuring Jefferys' work, such as The American Atlas, The North-American Pilot, and The West-India Atlas.
Jefferys served as the Geographer to Frederick, Prince of Wales, and from 1760, to King George III. His role primarily involved supplying maps to the royal family, particularly during the height of the Seven Years' War, which spurred demand for detailed and accurate maps of North America. Jefferys not only sold maps commercially but also maintained connections with government bodies for whom he produced specialized materials, further solidifying his status in the map trade.
Despite his success and royal appointments, Jefferys faced financial difficulties, leading to bankruptcy in 1766. His business and map plates were eventually acquired by Robert Sayer and other associates. Upon Jefferys' death in 1771, his workshop passed to his son, Thomas Jr., and his partner, William Faden. Although Jefferys was known primarily as an engraver, producing illustrations and drawings in addition to maps, his contributions to the field of cartography remain his most enduring legacy.
Jefferys had no formal geographical training, and his early work was largely confined to engraving maps compiled by others or revising existing plates. However, his collaboration with John Green, a skilled cartographer also known as Bradock Mead, significantly enhanced his reputation. Mead, an Irishman with a complex personal history, was known for his expertise in map-making and was instrumental in creating some of the detailed maps that Jefferys published, including the influential New Map of Nova Scotia and Cape Britain in 1755. Mead's work underpinned much of Jefferys' acclaim as a leading map publisher of his time.
From 1750 onwards, Jefferys began to focus on maps of America, a region of increasing interest to British audiences. His notable works included a series of maps detailing North America, which bolstered his reputation as the preeminent map and chart supplier of his era. He continued to produce maps even after his financial collapse, but his later years were marked by financial instability. Despite this, his maps were in high demand and were republished by Sayer and Bennett, his former associates, who continued to use Jefferys' name to ensure commercial success.
Jefferys' legacy is characterized by his comprehensive atlases and detailed maps that captured the geographic and political landscapes of the 18th century. His work remains significant not only for its historical and cartographic value but also for its role in the broader narrative of colonial expansion and exploration. His contributions, preserved through subsequent editions and reprints, solidified his place as one of the leading figures in the history of cartography.