THE COUNTRY TWENTY FIVE MILES ROUND NEW YORK, DRAWN BY A GENTLEMAN FROM THAT CITY

by Hawkes, W.:

Price: $45,000.00
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London: R. Sayer & J. Bennett, Jan. 1st, 1777.. Copper-engraved map by J. Barber, with original outline color, on laid paper watermarked "LVG." Sheet size: 24 5/8 x 19 1/2 inches. An extremely rare map, a broadside that captures the dramatic events that were unfolding in the New York theatre of the Revolutionary War. This exceptionally rare map is a highly important historical document of Britain's New York campaign, conducted in 1776, the first full year of the Revolutionary War. It was printed as a broadside to inform the British public about the exciting news from across the Atlantic. The survival rate of broadsides is extremely low, and this example is exceptional in that it has survived in remarkably excellent condition. This work would have been one of the most effective communication tools of the time, as it pictorially represented the geography of the theatre of events, and explained the principal aspects of the conflict in a clear and concise manner. The present example is the third of four issues of this map, and as it deals with a story in progress, each new edition was updated from the former. The finely engraved map is centered on the city of New York, located on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. A series of concentric circles, each at five mile intervals, radiate from this epicenter. The map embraces the area as far north as the Tappan Zee, as far south as the Shrewsbury River in Monmouth County, New Jersey, as far west as Parsippany, New Jersey, and as far east as Hampstead, Long Island. Outlined beautifully in original color, the map features all major towns, country churches and battle sites, indicated with pictorial symbols, and delineates all of the important roads. In essence, the map encompasses the entire theater of the New York campaign, featuring all of the geographical information an informed reader would need to know in order to place war news in its proper context. Beneath the map is the "Chronological Table of the Most Interesting Occurrences since the Commencement of Hostilities in North America," which begins with the mention of what would later be known as the Boston Tea Party on December 16th, 1773. It proceeds to recount the early events of the war itself, most notably the Battle of Bunker Hill outside of Boston (June 17th, 1775) and the British evacuation of that city after a year- long siege on March 7th, 1776. The list of events is expressed in a professional manner, referring to the British respectfully as "His Majesty's" forces and the Americans as the "Provincials." While reading through the events up into the summer of 1776 it would seem that providence was not on the British side, a point underscored by the notation on July 4th, 1776 which reads "continental congress declares the United States of America Independent." This impression is accurate, as the British had been effectively driven out of the Thirteen Colonies. If "His Majesty's" forces wished to take war to the Americans, they would have to act with great speed and force. As one follows the events from mid-July as it turned into August, one notices that such a reprise was in the works. A massive force of eighty-eight ships and 34,000 troops congregated on and around Staten Island under the overall command of General Sir William Howe. As noted on the map itself, the British landed at Gravesend Bay, Brooklyn on August 22nd, and the note on the 27th that reads "the Provincials defeated" could not have been a greater understatement. This refers to the Battle of Long Island, the largest altercation of the entire war, in which the British decisively defeated the Americans, forcing them to abandon the island for Manhattan. The note after September 11th, which mentions the "conference" between the British command and a "Deputation" of Americans, refers to a meeting in which an American embassy under Benjamin Franklin rejected British terms for ending hostilities following the American defeat in Brooklyn. This set the stage for the successful British invasion of Manhattan. While that island was not fully secured by the British until November 1776, it became the principal British base, remaining in their possession for the duration of the war. In addition to the fascinating chronological table, the text section provides a great deal of fascinating and historically important information. There is the "Alphabetical Table of the Principal Towns in North America and their Distance from New York," and a table listing the population statistics of the various American colonies, which notes that New York province then had an estimated 250,000 inhabitants. The right-hand column features information regarding the command structure, troop-strength, and the general disbursement of both the British and American forces, which placed information that would have frequently appeared in the newspapers in a coherent and orderly context. Hawkes, who took over the business of the esteemed cartographer, Thomas Kitchin, likely intended this work to be purchased by members of the country's wealthy merchant class whose financial concerns were greatly mitigated by the conflict. This point is supported by its issue price of "One Shilling," a considerable sum at the time for a single printed sheet. This fine work is not only an attractive and scarce cartographic object, but an extremely important document relating to the history of the Revolutionary War and the development of the media and war reporting in the 18th century. GUTHORN, BRITISH MAPS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 146/1. SELLERS & VAN EE, MAPS & CHARTS OF NORTH AMERICA & WEST INDIES 1096. Steven & Tree, "Comparative Cartography" 43(c), in Tooley, THE MAPPING OF AMERICA.

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