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Description

First State -- Rare Early Appearance of the American Flag

Fine old color example of one of the earliest printed maps to name the United States and one of the earliest to include a (partial) image of the American Flag.

The map shows the new States of America in their earliest configurations. Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia all extend to the Mississippi River. Pennsylvania includes about half of Ohio an a big part of New York, and New York has a curious irregular shape. "Main" is named, but with a very curious unsettled border.

A massive stretch of land below the Great Lakes and extending to the Mississippi River is named "Contrees Cedees Aux Etats-Unis les 30 9bre. 1782)" (Country ceded to the U.S. by the Treaty of September 30, 1782) Many Indian Tribes are named, with interesting annotations throughout the interior of the map. There are already early hints of settlement in the region that would become Ohio.

The unknown source of the Missouri River is noted, as are the French explorations in the region. A number of early French and English forts on both sides of the Mississippi River are shown, as are notes regarding earlier discoveries of the Mississippi by De Soto (1641), the French Fort near Natchez (1730) etc. A scarce early map of the United States.

The first state of the map, published by Esnauts & Rapilly. This second state substitutes Desnos as the publisher.

The first state is extremely rare on the market. This is the first example we have ever seen.

Condition Description
Full original color.
Reference
McCorkle, B.B. (New England) 784.1; Sellers & Van Ee #746; Ristow, W.W. (Amer M&M) p.63.