John Arrowsmith. Map of Texas, compiled from Surveys...
Description
John Arrowsmith. Map of Texas, compiled from Surveys recorded in the Land Office of Texas, and other Official Surveys. Soho Square, London: Published April 17, 1841, by John Arrowsmith. 19 3/4 x 24 1/8 inches (sight), matted and framed to an overall size of 33 x 37 inches. Originally issued as a fold out map in Vol 1 of Texas: The Rise, Progress, and Prospects of the Republic of Texas by William Kennedy, this map features hand-colored Texas borders and shows the republic's border claims to the upper Rio Grande. Depicts towns, counties, roads, military routes, rivers, creeks, and other physical features. With insets of the "Plan of Galveston Bay" and the western U.S. and Mexico.Drawn from official surveys filed with the Texas General Land Office, Arrowsmith's map provided the most accurate and detailed representation of Texas available in Britain at the time. It quickly became a model for new maps of the region and was copied extensively by other European mapmakers. Martin & Martin write: "Arrowsmith's map was probably the first to show the full extent of Texas's claim to the region of the upper Rio Grande, an area included within Texas's boundaries until the Compromise of 1850...In spite of its few errors, the map certainly was the best information on Texas geography available in Europe in a decade in which the political fate of the New Republic was of international concern."
It includes the official seals of the Republic and the Land Office, reinforcing its authoritative origin, and bears a printed note stating that Great Britain recognizes Texas as an independent state. The map legitimized Texas as a sovereign nation and encouraged emigration and land investment by showcasing its geography, settlements, and resources.
Condition: Not examined out of frame. Lightly toned with smoothed folds; very minor wear at edges.
Reference: Martin & Martin 32; Streeter 1373; Wheat 451.
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