"Mississippi Territory", Arrowsmith & Lewis

This is a small, but significant map of Mississippi Territory, covering the region of present-day Mississippi and Alabama. Established in 1798, Mississippi Territory initially only included the southern portion of present-day Mississippi and Alabama, from 31 degrees north latitude to 32 degrees 28 minutes, shown on the map by the dotted line extending east from Fort McHenry. In 1804, Congress extended Mississippi Territory to 35 degrees north latitude, shown along the top border of the map, encompassing lands that had previously been claimed by Georgia. This is one of the earliest separate maps of Mississippi Territory, published before the United States took possession of West Florida from the Spanish, adding the region extending to the Gulf of Mexico to the US territory in 1812. This map depicts West Florida just below the southern border of Mississippi Territory. At the extreme northwest corner of the map is Fort Pickering on Chickasaw Bluff, near the future site of Memphis. Just below is a region labeled Upper Mississippi Company, and east of there, the Tennessee Company takes in the Tennessee River watershed in northern Alabama. Georgia Company occupies the middle of the map. Numerous Indian tribes and villages are located and Indian Paths, including the Natchez Trace are shown throughout. There are a number of forts located including Ft. Stoddert on the Mobile River, Ft. Adams on the Mississippi, and Ft. McHenry at Walnut Hills, later the site of Vicksburg. Drawn by Samuel Lewis and engraved by D. Fairman.

References: Phillips (Atlases) #702-54.

Condition: B+

A nice example with light soiling, minor foxing, and a tiny tear in the bottom blank margin.