By Samuel Augustus Mitchell 1
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
This is a finely colored example of the 1846 version of Mitchell's seminal map of Texas, Oregon Territory, California, and the Transmississippi West. Published in 1846 from Philadelphia, Mitchell's map of the West was one of the first large-format commercially published maps to show the Transmissisippi West, after the annexation of Texas in 1845. The map was perhaps the single most popular map of the period, used by gold seekers, immigrants, and others whose lives, fortunes, and attentions were focused Westward at the outset of the Mexican-American War.
Beginning in 1846, the Transmississippi West was of particular interest to the American populace, as a result of two recent and related events. In 1845, Texas was admitted to the Union. This prompted Mexico to invade Texas in 1846, thus starting the U.S.-Mexican War. General curiosity about the new state as well as interest in the war led to Mitchell's timely map becoming quite popular.
As stated in the "Accompaniment to Mitchell's new map of Texas, Oregon and California...," in which the map was sometimes issued, Mitchell used the latest and best cartographic sources for the map, including Arrowsmith's 1841 map of Texas, Fremont's and Emory's maps of their explorations in the region, compiled data from the Lewis & Clark expedition, Nicollet's map of the region between the Mississippi and the Missouri, and Wilkes map of Oregon...
Category
1840s American Antique Samuel Augustus Mitchell Furniture