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Description

Important Early Gadsden Purchase Map

Bartlett's map is one of the most important early maps of the Transmississippi West to show the Gadsden Purchase.

Following the conclusion of the War with Mexico, A.B. Gray was given the task of establishing the boundary between the US and Mexico. In part due the American' delegation to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo having relied on negotiations upon John Disturnell's map of 1847 map of Mexico, which includes a significant error in the location of "El Paso," a critical region of Arizona, which was coveted for the southern transcontinental railroad route, was retained by Mexico. In order to correct this problem, the Gadsden Purchase was negotiated.

Several important maps were thereafter prepared over a series of several years by John Bartlett, under the direction of W.H. Emory. This map was the final map in the series, which was privately printed by J.H. Colton in Bartlett's Personal Narrative of explorations and incidents in Texas, New Mexico, California, Sonora and Chihuahua… published by Appleton in 1854.

Wheat states that Bartlett's map is an important Western map and describes it as excellent. It is one of the first maps to show Jackson Lake east of the Tetons. Wheat called the depiction of the California mining regions credible, but a bit too far east. It includes Indian tribal information, elevations, early routes, notes on the Gadsden Purchase, forts, rivers and a host of other detailed and current information.

Wheat also notes that the draftsman of the map had Simpson's map of the Navajo campaign to work with, an early appearance of this information.

Condition Description
Some scattered spotting throughout.
Reference
Wheat 798.