Fascinating early map of the western United States in the short lived period after Texas was accepted into the Union yet before the Compromise of 1850.
Robinson’s fascinating map of the American West presents something of a dating conundrum. Text on the lower left below the map clearly states that it was published in 1847; this tallies with some aspects of the geography, particularly the presence of the Texas Panhandle reaching the Rockies, the absence of the Territory of Utah and the absence of the Territory of New Mexico. All of this would be changed during the Compromise of 1850, when Texas would reverse her claims to the Panhandle and the United States would create the new Territories of Utah and New Mexico.
The conundrum presents itself in the form of the name of “Nebraska” used for the vast region north of Texas and the Indian Territory leading to the Canadian border. This was a short-lived iteration of the Territory before the creation of Montana and Dakota together with Kansas and Nebraska. Yet, this Territory was not created until the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. Historically, pre-1854, this was known as “Unorganised Territory”. Conversely, Iowa and Minnesota show pre-1846 borders.
Adding to the mystery, we have been able to track a map published by Robinson, in the same format, with the same title and the same date which does show the Territories of Utah and New Mexico as well as the Territory of Washington and Texas without its Panhandle, in other words, post Compromise of 1850.
Original hand colour.