Mitchell's commanding 1845 wall map titled Mitchell's Reference and Distance Map of the United States consists of the titular, primary map of the United States that fills almost the entire 6 foot wide sheet and of a one-quarter sized, inset map titled A General Map of the of the United States with the contiguous British & Mexican Possession of utmost political significance that graphically appears to emerge as the metamorphosis of the United States into its destined coast to coast boundaries. This transcontinental map shows the Republic of Texas with its stovepipe. There are two state inset maps: the North Part of Maine illustrates the current northern New England border with Canada, including the St. Lawrence River with a slice of Lower Canada; the South Part of Florida completes the country's 1845 southeast geography. A set of eight small inset maps illustrate major American cities and their environs. "Remarks" on the map describe the surveys used to make this map, a "Text" describes emigrants' routes to Oregon Territory and a westward facing American Eagle astride a surfing half shell illuminates the entire composition. A classical, green, acanthus leaf border frames the map.
Mitchell fully understood the American political appetite for an expanded vision of America as a coast to coast nation. This map responds to the moment and shows two snapshots of the United States, permitting the viewer to visualize the Republic of Texas as annexed and the British Oregon Territory integrated into America. This map represents history unfolding. To the contemporary viewer, the large map and its equally important A General Map of the United States is a political slide show of national fulfillment. The titular references and distances shown are this map's foundation. The country's surveyed boundaries are about to radically change.
Description:
Mitchell's 1845 large scale map of the United States is a reference and distance compilation based on surveys of the entire United States at a scale of 25 miles to one inch on Flamstead's Improved Projection. Mitchell describes the map's scope under "Remarks": "On this Map will be found every County, Township, Parish, Hundred etc. in the United States...arranged in conformity with the Census of 1830...together with all the additional Counties, Townships etc. organized since that period as far as they could be obtained." The "Remarks" explain that the map is accompanied by a separate book. In fact, the map itself is a one-page, six by five foot book.
Mitchell cites the surveying authorities relied upon. The Remarks state that for mapping new states and Territories - such as "Indian Territory"- he has relied on surveys made "by order of the General Government that now extends over the states and territories." Mitchell cites additional surveys prepared by states and private maps. To those private map makers Mitchell expresses his indebtedness: M. Greenleaf of Maine, N.Hale of Boston, D.H.Burr of New York, John MacRae of North Carolina, J. Bethune Surveyor General of Georgia, J.McCoy of Alabama and others. Regarding Indiana, Mitchell makes special note also of A. Clark of Connersville, Indiana for representations of Indiana townships which had not "...hitherto appeared on any published Map of that State." Thus the face of the map is a key to prominent American survey map makers of the first half of the 19th c.
Color complements scale for clear reading of this map. States are outlined in red. Counties are shown in contrasting colors. The "National Road" is labeled, existing and proposed rail roads, canals are indicated and named. Native American tribal lands, Indian villages within American and the contiguous British and Mexican possessions are labeled by tribal name. "Indian Territory" is the name for land that abuts America's western boundary. The first edition of Mitchell's map was published in 1836 and thereafter with revisions. The Mitchell 1845 copyright edition begins the new United States mapping series. Two subsequent editions in this series were published (1846, 1849).
The prominent graphic feature of Mitchell's 1845 map viewed at any distance is the unusual decorative cartouche of the American Eagle, skimming the waves on a scalloped half-shell, clutching in the talons of his right foot five sharp tipped arrows and in the other the fruited olive branch, his gaze directed to the West. An American flag on a pointed staff lies behind the Eagle in his craft. W. Mason is identified as the designer. 2/ A shield with 23 stars and stripes below hangs from the eagle's strong neck.3/ In the scene's background, a domed Capitol building sits on a rise, below which several men guide their barge through the locks of a canal to join the choppy waters bearing the American Eagle. To the Eagle's left is a conifer ringed, coastal city, its busy shore lined with sailboats, a steamboat and a three masted schooner of an industrializing America.
What does this vignette's imagery mean? The artist W. Mason borrows Botticelli's 15th c. imagery of the birth of Venus riding the waves on a scalloped half shell to convey the birth of America in the first edition of this map (1834). The Eagle speeding to the West, suggests that the United States would extend its western political border to the Pacific Ocean by force or diplomacy. This 1845 edition just precedes the 1846 Oregon Treaty with Britain settling America exclusive dominion over the Oregon Territory. The Mexican-American War was declared in April, 1846. Within a year of the 1845 Mitchell Map's copyright, the political objectives of the United States government to possess the Oregon Territory to the Pacific Ocean was at hand and war with Mexico underway to seize the final transcontinental territories from Mexico, including, of course, Texas and California.
The 1845 Mitchell map also shows the North American losers. The "General Map of the United States with the Contiguous British and Mexican Possessions" greatly reduces "Indian Territory" as drawn on the 1845 and prior editions of the Reference and Distance Map. Mitchell's 1845 map updates of Native American dispossessions represents the United States government and predominant legal view: Native Americans in America had no political standing or sovereignty and no recognized legal land claims. The redefined term "Indian Territory" on Mitchell's 1845 map replaces what on the 1836 edition had been mapped and denoted as identified Native American tribal lands and in the 1845 map denotes U.S. government owned land, labeled as a temporary holding zone until the land is organized as a state.
Notes:
1. During conservation to remove the map's varnish, the original green color was lost and a discovery made: Mitchell had originally varnished the map in two layers. First the map was colored except for with Mitchell's green pigment and varnish was laid down. Next the green was applied over the first layer of varnish. Thus when both varnish layers were removed during conservation so was the green color. The map dimensions given are as mounted on the wood rods.
2. W. Mason may be William Mason, of Philadelphia described in the New York Historical Society's Dictionary of Artist's in America (1564-1860), Groce and Wallace, 1979 ed., as a Philadelphia artist and drawing teacher, also originally an engraver, who drew landscapes and still lifes, exhibiting and teaching in Philadelphia active between 1808 and 1844.
3. The first edition of Mitchell's United States map was published in 1836 and included this vignette with twenty-three stars on the shield. Subsequent editions retained the eagle vignette and revised the specific city inset maps and territory changes. Please David Rumsey map collection. Mitchell's Reference & Distance Map Of The United States. - David Rumsey Historical Map Collection