John Melish’s A Military and Topographical Atlas of the United States: The War of 1812 and the Emergence of American Commercial Cartography

John Melish’s A Military and Topographical Atlas of the United States: The War of 1812 and the Emergence of American Commercial Cartography

Descripition: The War of 1812 and its immediate aftermath coincided with the rapid growth of American commercial cartographic publication centered in Philadelphia. John Melish’s diminutive atlas devoted to the theater of war helped establish the recent Scottish immigrant as a leading figure in the emerging American map trade. In this presentation Dr. Akerman discusses the circumstances that led to the creation of this unusual atlas, considering the role of war in fostering the growth of cartographic markets.