"A New Map of Part of the United States of North America" is a highly celebrated antique map engraved by prominent British cartographer John Cary.
The map reflects a critical transitional era in American geography and cartography. It marks a shift away from 18th-century decorative elements toward the precise, detail-driven technical standards of the 19th century.
Rather than showing the full continent, this map focuses heavily on specific regional territories.
Comprehensive detail covering New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.
Crucial depictions of Kentucky and the "Western Territory" (which would later form Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin).
Highly accurate profiles of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario, and Erie, alongside Upper and Lower Canada.
Engraved during the timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806), it captures the exact moment the United States began rapidly exploring its vast interior.
Features detailed annotations of historical significance, including the western boundary of the Six Indian Nations in New York, and the Indian boundary line established by General Wayne’s 1795 Treaty of Greenville.
The map explicitly details frontier forts, early white settlements, portage routes, and exploratory milestones, such as a note marking Daniel Boone’s 1769 exploration of Kentucky.
John Cary (1755–1835), was a prominent British cartographer and engraver. He published a wide range of highly accurate copper-engraved maps that became industry standards for their clean, un-ornamented style. These 1804 editions were largely prepared for his comprehensive New Universal Atlas, which was eventually issued in full in 1808.
Cary served his apprenticeship as an engraver in London, before setting up his own business in the Strand in 1783. He soon gained a reputation for his maps and globes. He published 'The New and Correct English Atlas' in 1787, which soon became a standard reference work in England.
In 1794 Cary was commissioned by the Postmaster General to survey England's roads. This resulted in Cary's 'New Itinerary', published in 1798, containing maps of all the major roads in England and Wales. He also produced Ordnance Survey maps prior to 1805.
Cary's New Universal Atlas, is a landmark of early 19th-century map making. It represented a shift from the decorative, artistic maps of the 18th century toward a more modern, scientific approach prioritising clarity, accuracy, and meticulous detail.
The 1808 edition featured 56 hand-coloured, engraved maps covering all major states and kingdoms worldwide, including highly detailed maps of England and Wales.
Cary replaced the "quaintness and charm" of older maps with a scientific rationality, using the latest surveying techniques to establish a standard that later influenced the Ordnance Survey.
The atlas was so popular it was reissued at least seven times over the next 30 years.
