[New England].

1812 Tardieu Map of New England and British North America (Canada)

Publication Date: 1812

About this Item

Very good. Dissected and laid on linen. Original linen stable. Slight toning. Size 24.75 x 28.75 Inches. The northeastern sheet of Pierre Francois Tardieu's 1812 four-sheet map of the United States of America, based on Aaron Arrowsmith's seminal 1796 map of the same. Its publication coincided with the outbreak of the War of 1812 (1812 - 1815). Aside from its aesthetic qualities and level of detail, the map is notable for demonstrating the territorial evolution of the new republic. A Closer Look Coverage includes the northeastern portion of the new United States of America as well as various provinces of British North America (Canada). Settlements, including Native American villages, are recorded in considerable detail, along with mountains, rivers, lakes, forts, mills, mines, and roads (with distances noted between settlements). Town lines are traced in Canada and Upstate New York, including those drawn from the Central New York Military Tract ('Concession militaire'), awarded to veterans of the Revolutionary War. Some placenames are retained that would become uncommon or anachronistic in later times; for instance, the White Mountains are recorded here as the 'White Hills,' as was fairly common at the time. The map includes a combination of French ('Limite des Indiens,' 'Pays de Genesà es') and English placenames and explanatory notes. Publication History and Census This map constitutes one sheet of a four-sheet map ('United States of Nth. America Carte des Etats-Unis de l'Amà rique Septentrionale'), produced by a member of the Tardieu cartographic clan (most likely Pierre Francois Tardieu, 1757 - 1822). Engraving is attributed to Jean-Claude Dezauche, Charles Picquet, and Jean Goujon. It is based on Aaron Arrowsmith's influential 1796 'A Map of the United States of North America,' which was then updated and reissued several times. However, Tardieu did not simply copy and translate Arrowsmith's map as it was but added whatever new information could be gathered. Tardieu produced at least four editions of the map, in 1802, 1808, 1812, and 1820, which can be readily distinguished by features on the map. The edition dated 1812 exists in three states, which were produced c. 1812, 1816, and 1818, respectively, which can also be distinguished based on territorial changes on the American frontier. Usually, the territories in the south and west of the country are used to determine the state of the dated 1812 map, which does not help here, but there are other features that suggest that the present map is an earlier state, most likely the earliest (c. 1812) state. Most obviously, a notable element lacking here that does appear on later states is Cleveland, Ohio, as well as a road running parallel to the coast of Lake Erie from Buffalo ('Buffaloe') to Cleveland and onwards. Regardless of state, the OCLC notes the 1812 edition of the map in 10 institutions worldwide. References: Rumsey 4193.003. OCLC (all 1812 states) 16650791, 431784783, 1090811574, 850209252.

Seller Inventory # NewEngland-tardieu-1812

Bibliographic Details

• Title: [New England].
• Publication Date: 1812
• Seller catalogs:
  • UNITED-STATES-MAPS