1850 Mitchell Map Georgia (1 results)

Very good. Overall age toning. Minor spotting. Size 14.5 x 12 Inches. This is S. A. Mitchell's 1850 map of Georgia, illustrating the state at its peak as a pillar of the antebellum South. A Closer Look The map depicts the entire state, using color to differentiate individual counties. Portions of adjacent states are included. Canals and roads are illustrated, along with distances between major points. The state's major railroads lines connection the port of Savannah with various points inland, including Atlanta, Augusta, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Historical Context In 1850, Georgia was dotted by expansive cotton plantations that fueled its economic prosperity. Georgia's burgeoning railroad network began to reshape its internal trade and connectivity, linking rural plantations to growing urban centers like Savannah and Atlanta. This agrarian prosperity, however, was intrinsically tied to slavery, with a significant portion of the population enslaved. Georgia was swept up in the national discourse triggered by the Compromise of 1850, escalating tensions between the North and South. The state's leaders and populace were deeply entwined in these debates, reflecting Georgia's role as a key player in the antebellum South. Publication History and Census This map was prepared by S. A. Mitchell for publication by the Philadelphia firm of Thomas, Cowperthwait, and Co. as plate no. 24 in the 1850 edition of Mitchell's New General Atlas . Dated and copyrighted, 'Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1850 by Thomas Cowperthwait and Co. in the Clerk's office of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania'. References: Rumsey 0545.024 (1849 edition). Phillips (Atlases) 6913.