Engraving with watercolor

John Mitchell produced this map for the British government in the 1750s. This second edition cites Mitchell’s colonial sources, including several maps you will see in this exhibition. Mitchell inaccurately represented Native American, French, and Spanish boundaries in support of British claims. This allowed some British politicians to use Mitchell’s map to generate support for fighting the French. Such disputes over North American territory led to the first global military conflict, the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763).

Mitchell’s map is the most politically significant representation of the British colonies in the history of the United States. It was used to establish U.S. borders after the American Revolution and during numerous negotiations since. As recently as 1984, the map was used to settle a boundary dispute between the United States and Canada.

APS.

These objects reflect the various skilled individuals involved in making maps, including local informants, surveyors, draughtsmen, engravers, and printers. Often their labor was not recognized in the finished product.