Stiles, Sherman & Smith “Map of the United States and Canada.” From "Smith’s Geography for Schools"

Stiles, Sherman & Smith. “Map of the United States and Canada.”  From Smith’s Geography for Schools. 

New York: Daniel Burgess, 1853. 10 5/8 x 17 7/8.   Lithographic transfer from engraved plate by Stiles, Sherman & Smith.  Original hand color.  Very good condition. A/A

A fascinating map of the United States issued in Roswell C. Smith’s school geography of 1853.  Each state is indicated with a contrasting pastel shade, and major towns and cities are named.  Also given is the population for each state and for the cities and towns depicted.  Major lakes and rivers are shown and named, the latter with their navigable length noted, and canals and railroads are also indicated.  An inset in the lower left shows details Lesson X, including the regions of New England, Middle, Southern and Western States, as well as the Territories, largest cities and other important details of the period.  As this map was intended for students all the information presented is shown very clearly and precisely, making this an excellent map for detailed perusal.

The political presentation is especially interesting in the western parts of the United States.  Minnesota encompassing part of the Dakotas, and to the west several territories are depicted, viz. Nebraska–west of Minnesota and east of the Rocky Mountains–, Indian Territory–comprised of present-day Oklahoma–, Kansas–west of Missouri River and east of the Rocky Mountains–,  Utah–east of California, south of the 42^nd parallel and west of the Rocky Mountains–, New Mexico–south of the Arkansas River and Utah Territory, east of California and west of 103 degrees west longitude– and the Oregon and Washington Territories–current Idaho, Oregon and Washington.  Within these frontier territories good information of rivers and orography is presented, and Native American tribes are shown throughout.