"Carte des Etats-Unis", Lapie, Alexander Emile & Pierre

Subject: Eastern United States
Period: 1814 (dated)
Publication: Apercu des Etats-Unis..
Color: Hand Color
Size: 12.8 x 17.8

This scarce map describes geological formations in color outline rather than full color as employed by Maclure and other later geological maps. Marcou comments that the map contains some geological additions for Texas and Canada, and a few other alterations, but otherwise is based entirely on Maclure’s earlier map of 1809. The topographic base, prepared by P. Lapie, differs substantially from the earlier 1809 Maclure (Samuel Lewis) and 1811 Maclure (Volney) base maps encompassing the entire US including Louisiana territory. Watershed boundaries are carefully delineated by continuous topographic highlands, Buache-style. This early map locates only two settlements west of the Mississippi: Santa Fe and Fort Mandan, site of the Lewis and Clark quarters during the winter of 1805-06. Engraved by Blondeau and printed on hand-laid paper -- remarkable, as most mapmakers had by this time transitioned to machine-made paper. The map is from Beaujour’s "Apercu des Etats-Unis, au Commencement du XIX, Siecle, depuis 1800 Jusqu’ en 1810", Paris, L. G. Michaud, 1814. Beaujour served as French consul general to the US from 1804 to 1814 and had an intimate understanding of US politics, transportation, and commerce. His book, later published in an English version "Sketch of the United States of North America", was written primarily to encourage trade between the US and France, and included a summary of agriculture and geology supplemented by this map.

References: Marcou #925 (26a) Second Supplement; Phillips (Maps) p.878.
Condition: A
Issued folding, now flattened with a minor paper flaw at top right and a hint of soiling. There is a tiny fold separation in the right blank margin, which is very narrow.