General Land Office map showing the extent of the surveys of Nebraska Territory and the new state of Kansas.

The General Land Office maps served multiple purposes. The G.L.O was an independent agency which administered the public lands of the United States. Founded specifically for this purpose in 1812, its functions included surveying, sales, policing and general management. The Office went through several permutations and mergers until 1946, when it changed its name to the Bureau of Land Management which is still responsible for the public lands in the United States to the present day.

In 1866, Kansas and Nebraska would constitute the very far edges of the inland western borders of the United States and very much the areas which the government wanted to settle. Kansas had become a state in 1861 and the borders shown on this map had very recently been finalised; indeed, this is their layout to the current day. Nebraska was still a Territory although this would change in 1867. Its borders have not been finalised, specifically in the north.

As can be seen from the map, the Public Survey was slowly progressing westwards. Few natural resources are marked with the exception of marble and salt.

While General Land Office maps were usually black and white and issued on thin, inexpensive paper, this specific example has been laid on linen and is particularly finely coloured, suggesting that it was used for some sort promotional purpose, possibly as part of an ambassadorial library or as a retail sample.
Original colour. Laid on linen. [USA9802]