Pre-1846 Maps

Follow

• 

  1784-1846 - Spanish Land Concessions and Mexican Land Grants in Alta California, David Hornbeck

  Maps reflecting the distribution of land concessions and land grants made in Alta California during the Spanish and Mexican eras (1784 through 1846). Maps are divided into four categories: land grants issued prior to 1829; land grants issued between 1830 and 1839; land grants issued between 18840 and 1846; and land grants issued to Anglos.

• 

  1826 - A map of the United States of Mexico as organized and defined by the several acts of the Congress of that Republic

  The map depicts the United States of Mexico was created by Henry Schenck Tanner a few years after Span’s acceptance of Mexican independence in 1821. The map reflects the original boundaries of the new country of Mexico extending further north than the present-day border. At that point in time, Mexico included a substantial portion of what is now the southwestern United States and included territory as far north as California, Nevada and Utah. The map depicts mountain ranges, rivers, roads, cities, towns and forts as well as the location of many Native American tribes. It also includes two insert charts -- one that show the distances between various cities and one that is a statistical chart of the Mexican states. There is an insert chart on the bottom left portion of the map that depicts the area from Veracruz and Alvarado to Mexico City.

• 

  1832 Map of United States of Mexico, Second Edition 1846

  This 1846 second edition map depicts the United States of Mexico in 1832; organized and defined by the Acts of the Congress of the Republic; constructed from printed and manuscript documents by H. S. Tanner. Insert table on lower right shows statistical data for the states and territories: Area in Sq. Miles, Miles Square, Population, number of inhabitants to square mile, Capital and it's position Latitude and Longitude) along with population, produce, and terrain. Table of Distances insert on lower left.

• 

  1835 Map, Republic of the United States of Mexico

  This 1935 French map prepared by C. V. Monin depicts the Republic of the United States of Mexico and includes an insert that depicts Guatemala or Provinces of Central America.

• 

  1837 - Map of the territory west of the Rocky Mountains

  The 1837 map extends from Monterey, California to Cape Flattery and inland to Flathead Lake in today's Montana. The Great Salt Lake is named Lake Bonneville. It locates and names the Salmon, Boise, Malade, Snake, Columbia and Flat Head Rivers. Several dead-end rivers and lakes are shown in the Great Basin area including Lost River, Ashley's Lake, Battle Lake, and the Mary or Ogden's River. The map also depcits the territories of the Shoshoco, Eutaw, Too-el-Iican, Skynses, Flat Head, Pends Oreilles, Wallawallah and Bannack Indians. The three buttes located in the Lava Plains of Idaho were off navigational importance to the western immigrants.

• 

  1839 - Carta esférica de la costa de la Alta California : comprendida entre los paralelos de 32° y 38° norte.

  This 1839 chart of the coast of the Alta California: between parallels of 32 ° and 38 ° north depicting coastal depths, drainage, missions, pueblos, presidios, etc. It is one of the earliest printed maps devoted specifically to Alta California. It is unusual in that it was one of the first maps printed and published in Hawaii.

• 

  1846 - A New Map of Texas, Oregon and California.

  This 1846 map was published just before the War with Mexico, showing the recently annexed former Republic of Texas including its claims into present day New Mexico and Colorado. It also depicted the Oregon Territory, Upper California, Missouri Territory and a massive Indian Territory that covered much of Kansas and Colorado. A table notes the reputed distances of the main points of interest on the route betwee Westport, Missouri and Oregon City. The map was widely used by the flood of American emigrants to the Pacific Northwest.

• 

  1847 - Map of Upper & Lower California showing the military stations and distribution of troops.

  This 1847 map depicts the locations in Upper California where U.S. forces were stationed. The notation on the lower left-hand side gives the distances between sites and the numbers of men deployed. Longitude and latitude are marked but there is no exact scale. The map shows the extent of U.S. control, later to be formalized in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848, which transferred to the United States a vast swath of land that included not only California but the future states of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. It shows the coastline of California, coastal features, streams, mountains, towns and missions. The map depicts the El Camino Real (The Royal Road), the Spanish-built road that ran from San Diego in the south to Sonoma, just north of San Francisco Bay, connecting the 21 Spanish-built missions. Marked on the map south of Sacramento is “Suter’s,” a reference to Sutter’s Mill, where the discovery that set off the California Gold Rush was made in early 1848.