Existing comment:
John Mitchell's Map of the American Colonies
This landmark map of North America published in 1755 represents British sovereignty over the continent at the outset of the French and Indian War. It is perhaps the most well- known map of the eighteenth century. Created by John Mitchell, a native Virginian who moved to London in his middle-thirties, the map was compiled using information provided by governors of the British colonies. Although territories of other European powers are shown, the map is biased to British interests. French claims in the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, as defined by the Treaty of Utrecht (1714), are not recognized and, instead, English colonial claims extending west of the Alleghenies to the Mississippi River are emphasized. In addition to providing a vast amount of geographic knowledge, the map can be seen as an expression of English dominance in North America. This map was used to establish boundaries of the United States at the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
A comparison of the ornate cartouche on this map with the one on Buell's 1784 publication, suggests a strong design influence. Additionally, the colonial claims extending from the Atlantic coast on this map can be likened to the state claims extending to the Mississippi on Buell's 1784 map. |