1791 Payne Map of the United States

This is the 1791 John Payne map of the United States issued for his Universal Geography. It is among the earliest maps specifically of the newly formed United States, indicating its western border along the Mississippi River.

A Closer Look

The map is based on the 1755 Mitchell wall map upon which the 1783 treaty ending the American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783) was based. Accordingly, the states of Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia extend the full span from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, reflecting old Colonial Grants. Virginia's border further encompasses the whole of the United States' northwest frontier, including what is now Michigan.

Unlike the Mitchell, this map extends beyond the United States to reach the Pacific. The French territory of Louisiana is shown beyond the western border, with the Spanish territories of New Mexico and New Navarre in the southwest. The California coast is labeled 'New Albion,' with 'Sr. Francis Drakes Harbour' noted clearly. Near 'Fuca's Entrance' at approximately 48º North is an extensive 'River of the North,' an early iteration of the Columbia River. These features likely follow the lead of English maps, such as those of Sayer and Bennett. The delineation of Lake Winnipeg (Ouinipique L .) is however, based on French sources, possibly Rigobert Bonne.

The open spaces of the west are, in many places, filled with descriptive notes: 'thus far the Mississippi has been ascended' and 'Buffaloes Meadows' share space with Native American tribal names, including the White and Black Padoucas, the Osages, and more.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared for inclusion in the second volume of John Payne's Universal Geography formed into a New and Entire System (London,1791). We are aware of a single institutional example of the separate map, held in the collection of the University of North Carolina. About forty examples of the atlas are listed in institutional collections.