1778 Eliot Revolutionary War Map, first map to name the United States

A 1778 first edition American Revolutionary War era map of the northeastern United States by J. B. Elliot, considered to be of extreme significance. This is generally regarded as the earliest map to use the name 'United States', or in this case, 'Etats Unis'. Drawing on previously unused sources, Eliot's map illustrates the events of the Revolutionary War contemporaneously with the action, making it, essentially a living account of the War of Independence. Margaret Pritchard and Henry Taliaferro, published an essay on this map in Degrees of Latitude, Map 58, describing its significance in great detail, of which this is a short excerpt,

The map of the theater of war between Great Britain and America by J.B. Eliot is important because of its title, Les Treize Colonies Unies de l'Amerique Septentrionale, may include the first reference on a map to the United States. The cartographer was identified as Ingenieurs des Etats Unis. On November 15, 1777, the Continental Congress selected 'The United States of America,' as the name of the thirteen colonies that formed a government under the Articles of Confederation. One month later, French authorities learned of the victory at Saratoga and decided to recognize American independence. By January 8, French foreign minister, Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes, informed American envoys that France was ready to engage in an alliance. It is not surprising that the name United States was first mentioned on a map published in Paris in 1778.

… It is also curious that he did not indicate on the map the general's 1777 winter headquarters at Valley Forge, misspelled Walay Forge. What Eliot did illustrate were the lines' march taken by the British and American forces during the campaign in 1777, including Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Ledger's unsuccessful diversionary expedition down the Mohawk Valley, Burgoyne's march from Crown Point to Albany, and Howe's campaign to take Philadelphia.

… As was usually the case, Eliot appears to have borrowed from several sources in compiling the geography. Some areas were designated by French place-names while others are predominantly English, specifically in the northwestern territories that the French knew best. It is clear they were aware of the latest intelligence relating to the Revolutionary War.

A decorative cartouche in the lower right incorporates a battle scene wherein British soldiers bombard a small town - possibly Valley Forge?

The Curious Misspelling of Valley Forge

On this edition of the map Valley Forge is misspelled as 'Walay Forge.' While the error was corrected in the second edition, it is illustrative of just how contemporaneous this map is. Valley Forge was not a town of significance in the late 18th century, and in fact, was not important enough to appear in most general maps of the region. That it does appear here, suggests that the town was hastily added to the map once news of Washington's historic encampment there made its way to France. The text identifying Valley Forge, unlike other place names on the map, wraps around the rivers with a slight curve, indicating that it was hastily incorporated after most of the engraving was completed.

Who Was J. B. Eliot?

There is a lot of mystery around Eliot. He is identified here as an 'Engineer of the United States' and in the second edition as an 'aide-de-campe' to General Washington, but there is no record of anyone of this name serving under Washington. The name, J. B. (Johann-Baptiste?) Éliot, with the French L’accent aigu over the E, suggests that he may have been French, and accordingly the map historian Walter Ristow speculated that Eliot was a liaison between General Washington and France. Further research identifies no record of any military officer of this name serving in any capacity in the Depo des Cartes et Plans in the Bibliotheque Nationale de France. Eliot may have simply been a French draftsman attempting to augment the commercial viability of his map - it would not be the first time this happened in the history of cartography - or may have been an actual aide-de-campe using a pen name to avoid 'conflicts of interest.'

Publication History and Census

This important map exists in two known states. The first edition, as here, can be identified by the date, 1778, and the misspelling of Valley Forge, as 'Walay Forge.' A second edition was issued in 1781 with these errors corrected. The map was drawn by the mysterious J. B. Eliot, and engraved and published in Paris by Louis-Hoseph Mondhare.

This map is rare. An example appeared in a 1998 Sotheby's London auction, where it was described as one of only 6 known examples. This may be an exaggeration, as we have identified at least 9: 3 at the Library of Congress, 4 in American academic collections, and 2, including the present example, in private hands. Nonetheless, it remains an item of extreme rarity and historical significance - a once in a lifetime piece for the discerning Americana collector. This map is jointly owned with Neatline Antique Maps.