1776 Brassier Map of Lake Champlain and Lake George with the Battle of Valcour Island

This is William Furness Brasier's 1762 map of Lakes Champlain and George, in its 1776 second state. The map overall is the first separate map of Lake Champlain and Lake George. Both this and its earlier state would certainly have been in the hands of the British officers leading the Fall 1777 campaign during the American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783) culminating in a pivotal American victory at Saratoga.

First Detailed Map of Lake Champlain

The map is drawn from the surveys of William Brasier assisted by Dietrich Brehm, both of whom operated on behalf of the British Army throughout North America up until the Revolution. They began their surveys as early as 1758, including around Fort Ticonderoga, but action in the area during the French and Indian War (1754 - 1763) prevented their conclusion in time to be of utility during that conflict. General Jeffrey Amherst urged Brasier to finish the job in 1762, resulting in the present map.

The First American Naval Engagement

This 1776 edition is the first map to show the first naval engagement of the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Valcour Island. That battle was fought on Lake Champlain in October 1776, making this a sharply topical map at the time of printing. That battle, in which American general Benedict Arnold figured prominently, stymied the British strategy of swiftly bisecting the colonies from the north along 'The Great Warpath,' the chain of lakes and rivers linking British strongholds in Canada with New York. Control over this route would have split the American Colonies, putting them at a sharp disadvantage. The British failure to capture and exploit Lake Champlain threw their strategy into disarray.

The Map

Earlier maps distorted Lake Champlain. Even maps of the early 18th century saw this 'Lake of the Iroquois' misplaced far to the east. Here it is mapped precisely for the first time, showing many islands and coastal features clearly, along with topography of the shorelines. Lead mines and quarries - sites of great military value - are marked as well. The map includes a detail map of Lake George, which bears such important features as Fort William Henry, lime kilns, and a brick yard. Throughout, fortifications are prominently noted: not just forts William Henry and Ticonderoga, but also Crown Point, and Iroquois strongholds.

Publication History and Census

The first state of this map was first printed in August 8 1776 for inclusion in the Sayer and Bennett American Military Pocket Atlas (the 'Holster Atlas') and the American Atlas. This second state was published in early 1777 but possibly as early as November 1776. The map is reasonably well represented in institutional collections and appears on the market from time to time.