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Description

One of the Best Map of the U.S.-Canada Border During the American Revolution.

Separately-issued example of William Faden's important map of the frontier between the rebel American Colonies and British Canada, published following the Continental Army retreat from Quebec to Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Crown Point in 17766 and just before John Burgoyne's disastrous Saratoga campaign through the area.

Centered on Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River, the map captures the theater of the American Revolution in the second half of 1776.  Following the Continental Army's failed attempt to take Quebec in late 1775, in the Spring of 1776, 10,000 British and German troops arrived in Quebec, the Continental Army was driven back through the Lake Champlain and Lake George area by the British forces under General Guy Carleton. Carleton's had intended to push onward to the Hudson River,  in order to allow the British to link their forces in Quebec with those in New York, which had been captured in the New York campaign by Major General William Howe.  

This action set the stage for the valiant efforts of the American "fleet" under the command of Benedict Arnold, which had assembled following the American capture of Fort Ticonderoga in May 1775.   During the retreat, when the Americans abandoned Fort Saint-Jean, they burned or sank all the boats they could not use, slowing the British effort to move heavy artillery southward toward Lake Champlain.  The British assembled a group of pre-made ships, while the Americans made a similar effort to build ships to defend Lake Champlain.  While the British ultimately retook the American positions, the defensive efforts led by Arnold were sufficient to frustrate Carleton's plans and prevent the northern force from reaching the Hudson River, one of the most important successes in the first years of the Revolution.

The map in question covers a significant portion of the St. Lawrence River region, including part of Lake Ontario, Lake Champlain, and the border between New York and Canada. It is a beautifully detailed and carefully crafted piece of work, with a clear and precise layout that allows the viewer to easily orient themselves and understand the geography of the area.

One of the most striking features of this map is the dedication to General John Burgoyne, who in 1777, would lead a failed military campaign through this area during the war. This dedication, which is prominently displayed on the map, serves as a testament to the importance of the region and the strategic significance of the St. Lawrence River and the Saratoga Campaign.

Another notable aspect of the map is the level of detail and accuracy that Faden has included. The various rivers, lakes, and other waterways are all clearly marked and labeled, making it easy for the viewer to understand the layout of the region. The border between New York and Canada is also depicted with great precision, showing the exact location of the various forts and military installations in the area.

Overall, this map is a remarkable example of the cartographer's art and a valuable historical document. It provides valuable insight into the geography of the St. Lawrence River region during the American Revolution and is an important piece of evidence for those studying the events of that time.

States and Rarity

The map is scarce on the market, this being the first example we have handled.

This is Nebenzahl's third state of three, with the dedication to Burgoyne but without the large table in the lower right corner, entitled "Winter quarters of the King's Army in Canada, 1776."

Condition Description
Original hand-color in outline. Dissected and mounted on linen (linen renewed). Faint dampstain at the left edge.
Reference
Nebenzahl, Battle Plans, 43, state 3 (of 3).
William Faden Biography

William Faden (1749-1836) was the most prominent London mapmaker and publisher of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries. His father, William Mackfaden, was a printer who dropped the first part of his last name due to the Jacobite rising of 1745. 

Apprenticed to an engraver in the Clothworkers' Company, he was made free of the Company in August of 1771. He entered into a partnership with the family of Thomas Jeffreys, a prolific and well-respected mapmaker who had recently died in 1771. This partnership lasted until 1776. 

Also in 1776, Faden joined the Society of Civil Engineers, which later changed its name to the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers. The Smeatonians operated as an elite, yet practical, dining club and his membership led Faden to several engineering publications, including canal plans and plans of other new engineering projects.

Faden's star rose during the American Revolution, when he produced popular maps and atlases focused on the American colonies and the battles that raged within them. In 1783, just as the war ended, Faden inherited his father's estate, allowing him to fully control his business and expand it; in the same year he gained the title "Geographer in Ordinary to his Majesty."

Faden also commanded a large stock of British county maps, which made him attractive as a partner to the Ordnance Survey; he published the first Ordnance map in 1801, a map of Kent. The Admiralty also admired his work and acquired some of his plates which were re-issued as official naval charts.

Faden was renowned for his ingenuity as well as his business acumen. In 1796 he was awarded a gold medal by the Society of Arts. With his brother-in-law, the astronomer and painter John Russell, he created the first extant lunar globe.

After retiring in 1823 the lucrative business passed to James Wyld, a former apprentice. He died in Shepperton in 1826, leaving a large estate.