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Description

Including Manuscript Additions of the Overland Route To California and Other Important Points.

Nice example of Mitchell's seminal map of Texas, Oregon, Upper California, Missouri Territory and a massive Indian Territory (covering most of Kansas and Colorado).

The present example include an orange line illustrating the route from Fort Leavenworth,  through the  Denver area, across the Rocky Mountains and through the area south of Salt Lake, to the Sierras.  The Saskatchewan River is also drawn in Canada (crossing the title).  In addition, Salt Lake in Northern Iowa Territory, Fort Mandan and Ft. Union are also circled in an early hand and across the Rocky Mountains, a water route from Ft. Kootenay to the Pacific is shown, via the Flat Bow and Columbia Rivers.

The region covered by the map was of particular interest in 1846 because of two recent and related events. In 1845, Texas was admitted into the Union, which prompted Mexico to invade Texas in 1846, thus precipitating the U.S.-Mexican war. General curiosity about the new State of Texas and interest in the war with Mexico led to Mitchell's timely map becoming quite popular. Mitchell used the latest and best sources for the map, including Arrowsmith's 1841 map of Texas, Fremont's and Emory's maps of their explorations in the region, data from the Lewis & Clark expedition, Nicollet's map of the region between the Mississippi River and the Missouri River, and Wilkes map of Oregon.

Among other significant uses of the map, Brigham Young ordered 6 copies of the map. An example in the BYU collection includes an annotation placing the Mormons in Utah, pre-dating Fremont's map of 1848, which is the first printed map noting the presence of the Mormon's in the Great Basin.

The map shows Texas claims to the Upper Rio Grande in present-day New Mexico. These claims were eventually given up as part of the Great Compromise of 1850, in exchange for the U.S. Federal Government's assumption of Texas' public debt.

One of the most influential maps in Western American History.

Condition Description
Expert closure of three clean, short tears at top edge, and one clean tear from the bottom edge to "EXPLANATION." Minor facsimile additions to bottom neatline and printed border.
Reference
Martin & Martin 36; Wheat 520.
Samuel Augustus Mitchell Biography

For over fifty years, Samuel Augustus Mitchell, his son, and his successors some of the most prominent publishers of maps and atlases in the United States. Samuel Augustus Mitchell Sr. was born in Bristol, Connecticut on March 20, 1792. His father had emigrated from Scotland in 1773. While little is known about his early schooling, it is known that Mitchell found the quality of early geography text books to be lacking, and determined that he would write and publish better works. This decision led him to relocate to Philadelphia in 1829 or 1830, which was then the center of commercial publishing in America.

Mitchell’s first cartographic work was the re-issue of Anthony Finley’s New American Atlas in 1831, a work first issued by Finley in 1826, in response to Henry Schenk Tanner’s monumental work of the same title, issued in serial format from 1818 to 1822 and as a complete work from 1823 onward. While the map content in Mitchell’s edition of the New American Atlas is the same as Finley’s edition, each map has been significantly improved and revised, primarily with the addition of new towns and roads. This is especially true in the south and west. Finley had originally collaborated with D.H. Vance and J.H. Young in the preparation of the maps, although Vance’s name is removed from the Mitchell edition. Mitchell continued to work with Young, an association which would continue for several decades.

Following publication of the New American Atlas, Mitchell began issuing the individual maps in pocket map format. From 1834, Mitchell began offering reduced sized Tourist Pocket Maps of a number of states in the United States. J.H. Young and D. Haines are listed as the engravers on these maps. In 1832, Mitchell offered the first edition of his Travellers Guide Through the United States, A Map of the Roads, Distances, Steam Boat & Canal Routes &c. By J.H. Young . . ., which would become one of his most popular and enduring works. The map of the United States was done by steel engraving, one of the earliest uses of the technique in map publishing in America. In the same year, the first edition of Mitchell’s Map of the United States, by J.H. Young was issued, bearing the copyright date of October 10, 1831. This map would be revised and issued until 1844. Young also compiled A New Map of the United States in 1833. These two wall maps would come to dominate the market and their success led to several later US wall maps issued by Mitchell. This second map was also issued under the title of Mitchell’s Reference and Distance Map of the United States, which was printed until 1851. 

Mitchell was neither a cartographer nor an engraver. His primary function was as the editor and business manager of his publishing company, with Young working as the primary maker of maps. Beginning in 1839, Mitchell also began publication of his school atlas. This work and variant editions for older and younger students, was issued by Mitchell and his successors from 1839 to 1886. In 1845, Mitchell acquired the rights to Henry Schenk Tanner’s New Universal Atlas from Carey & Hart, which had previously acquired the copyright from Tanner and had published editions of 1843 and 1844. Mitchell changed many of the maps and issued two editions of the atlas in 1846. He changed the copperplates to lithography, utilizing Peter S. Duval in Philadelphia to produce the stones. Mitchell re-issued the atlas at least annually until 1850, when he sold the rights to the work to Thomas, Cowperthwait & Company. 

In 1860, Mitchell’s son, Samuel Augustus Mitchell Jr. began issuing Mitchell’s New General Atlas. While his father had continued to issue wall maps and other works, this appears to be his son’s first entry into the trade. The New General Atlas was issued by SA Mitchell Jr. until 1887. From 1880 to 1887, Bradley & Company also published the atlas. Various other minor publishers, including A.R. Keller, produced editions as late as 1894. The elder Mitchell died in 1868. Samuel Jr. continued the business until the 1890s. At its height, the Mitchell Company employed 250 people and sold 400,000 publications annually.