1804 Bradley / Morse Map of the Northern United States

This is a significant 1802 map of the northern parts of the United States illustrating postal routes and the five Jeffersonian states proposed by the Ordinance of 1789. The present example is the Jedidiah Morse issue of the northern part of Abraham Bradley's 1797 postal map of the United States - one of the most important maps in American history. It is one of the first American maps to extend west to the Mississippi River, and one of the first to address early colonization of the lands west of Pennsylvania, including Ohio.

A Closer Look

This map is a treasure trove of early American geography that rewards close study. Centered on Ohio's Connecticut Western Reserve, it extends from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic, and From Lake Huron to Kentucky. The eastern seaboard includes lines depicting the nascent U.S. postal system, extending from eastern cities all the way to Kaskaskia on the Mississippi River, an important settlement that was eclipsed by nearby St. Louis soon afterwards. Washington, D.C. is prominent, having only been formally incorporated three years prior with the District of Columbia Organic Act; here it includes Alexandria and Arlington County west of the Potomac, which were retroceded to Virginia in 1846.

This map is especially significant for its portrayal of territory west of Pennsylvania, where it illustrates the proposed Jeffersonian states of the Northwest Ordinance (1789). Although none of the new territories and states are named, just numbered, the preliminary borders of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin are evident. Information on terrain, topography, and other features is recorded throughout. Early trade agreements and land settlement schemes are also noted. Among these are New Connecticut, also known as the Connecticut Western Reserve.

The 'Western Reserve'

This section of northeastern Ohio, rarely seen on maps, was ceded to Connecticut by King Charles II in exchange for Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, following the Yankee-Pennamite Wars (1769 - 1784). Connecticut gave up its claims to the Western Reserve in 1800. The claims were sold to the Connecticut Land Company, a group of speculators based in Suffield, Connecticut. Surveyors were sent out, under Moses Cleveland, to divide the reserve into townships and found the city of Cleveland, here identified as 'New Salem'. The name was then changed to 'New Connecticut' as seen here. Some places and institutions in Northeast Ohio still retain the name Western Reserve, such as Case Western Reserve University and the Western Reserve Historical Society.

The Ohio Company

Further south, the lands of the Ohio Company embrace the northern shore of the Ohio River between Marietta and the Grand Sandy River. The Ohio Company was a land speculation company based in Virginia that received a royal charter in 1749. Settlement did ensue but was not as profitable as might have been imagined. After the Northwest Ordinance, the Ohio Company lands became a district of Ohio. The Seven Ranges Townships, reflective of early survey efforts, appear just to the northeast.

Additional Reserves and Boundary Lines

The map further identifies various reserves, many of which would soon become the sites of major cities. These include Chicago, Vincennes, Fort Wayne, Toledo, and Cincinnati, here identified as, 'Cincinnatus.' American Indian lands are also noted, particularly the Six Nations (Iroquois) on the eastern shores of Lake Erie, and the Chippewa near New Madrid.

A line extending westwards through Ohio and then south to the Ohio River is labeled 'Gen. Wayne's Treaty 1795' and below simply as 'boundary line.' This was the result of the Treaty of Greenville, signed in 1795 by Gen. Anthony Wayne and representatives of several Native American groups. It ended the Northwest Indian War and was meant to set a line limiting white settlements. But this line was soon breached, Wayne died shortly afterwards, and tensions began to build again. Native American leaders in the Northwest Territory who had mistrusted the U.S., including Tecumseh, gained support, resulting in further violence, especially Tecumseh's War.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by Abraham Bradley, engraved by Jedediah Morse for the second (1804) edition of Morse's American Gazetteer, printed by Samuel Etheridge, and published by Thomas and Andrews. It exists in at least 2 states; in the first state, the title is slightly different, 'Northern Part' vs. the present 2nd state, which reads, 'Northern Parts.' The two states are otherwise very similar.