In the middle of the Mexican-American War - the key that fit the lock of Westward Expansion - Jacob Monk's 1847 wall map was conceived. It's a beautiful snapshot of the western part of the continent morphing into the American West.
As this map was being drawn, the Mormons were en route to the Great Salt Lake. The Mexican-American War in California was ended by treaty, opening the door for the Gold Rush. Oregon's borders were established but it was not officially a territory. The Texas Rangers were fighting with the Colt Walker.
Every eyeball was trained on the West as it slid into focus and mapmakers held their breath. Not Jacob Monk, though. The Philadelphia map publisher forged onward to depict the infant West - the eastern half of the country carved into states full of towns and people, the western half was naked by comparison.
In Texas (still rocking her youthful Republic figure) Monk included the Alamo, Goliad ("Fanning's Battle") and the Battle of San Jacinto a mere decade after those events occurred.
A detail that made Monk's wall maps stand out during the 1840s-50s, and outstanding today, was his treatment of American Indians. In Texas, the Apache are set way out west and the rest of Texas is given over to the Comanche and Kiowa.
North of Red River, Indian Territory stretched clear up to the Canadian border. Most maps of the era depict it as a vast expanse of land simply marked "Indian Territory."
Monk did it differently. He carefully parceled it out to show the reservations of each group and with population figures for each. In the case of the Cherokee, Osage, Choctaw and Chickasaw, he indicated where they lived before removal.
South of the Rio Grande, American flags dot Mexico to denote battles of the ongoing Mexican-American War. Gen. Kearney's route to Santa Fe is laid out, intersecting the Santa Fe Trail. John C. Fremont's 1844 route to California is mapped, as is his 1845 return. There are too many history lessons and details to list here.
This historical snapshot is exceedingly rare. Monk's later editions sold like hotcakes as Americans rushed westward and needed a roadmap. This edition is the map that, well, put Jacob Monk on the map.
Only one institutional copy is known to exist. Current sale price on an 1849 edition will cost you that $14,000 burning a hole in your pocket. Our limited edition fine art print of Monk's work won't. It's a map you can (and should) get lost in.
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