George Washington and His Maps
In his journey from surveyor to soldier to leader, our first president used cartography to get a feel for the young nation
- By John Hanc
- Smithsonian.com, November 16, 2010
(The Granger Collection, New York)
First in war.
First in peace.
First to look at a map whenever he had a question about waging the former and sustaining the latter.
It's not how we typically picture George Washington: bent over a map by candlelight, scrutinizing, measuring and in some cases actually drawing the topographical details that would help conquer a wilderness, win a war, create a republic. But as historian Barnet Schecter shows us in his illustrated new history, George Washington's America: a Biography through His Maps, many of our first president's decisions during his long career as a surveyor, soldier and statesman were made only after careful readings of the existing cartographical materials.
About 43 of Washington's maps—the actual maps—were saved and bound together, most likely by his family after his death in 1799. Eventually, they made their way to Yale University's Sterling Library. Schecter, a 1985 Yale graduate, read about them in the university's alumni magazine. Intrigued, he went to New Haven to see them and was flabbergasted by their richness—exquisitely rendered, copper-plate engraved, many with additional water color painting. All were from Washington's personal library and (in a stroke of good timing for Schecter) recently cleaned and restored. "I was blown away," says Schecter, the author of the critically-acclaimed books The Revolutionary Battle of New York, and the Civil War Draft Riots. "To hold maps he held sends shivers down the spine."
"The Yale atlas enables us to look over Washington's shoulder," Schecter writes in the introduction to his book, "accompanying him as he journeyed through these landscapes, of struggled to direct his generals and monitor their campaigns in distant theaters of battle." Schecter's book examines 190 of the founding father's maps, including the original 43 maps in the Atlas as well as others that appeared in a separate inventory of Washington's library.
Here are 10 maps Schecter feels are most important in understanding the significance that maps played in the life of Washington in each phase of his remarkable career.
Comments (4)
Some of the nautical information on this British map may have been gathered by the famous (future captain) James Cook, RN, who did a recconnaissance assignment at Quebec.
Posted by Andre Rodenburg on February 20,2012 | 02:36 PM
I've read that a large part of Napoleon's genius was his ability to make extraordinary use of maps.
Posted by JimCooke on September 6,2011 | 08:07 AM
Mr. Herr,
Your button is not one that George Washington would have worn but more likely one celebrating his inauguration as President in New York. Contact a museum or reputable antique dealer about it. It could be of some value.
Regards, Daniel S.
Posted by Daniel on December 5,2010 | 10:03 AM
I have in my possession a coat size button with the bust of George Washington imbossed on it.It is either brass or bronze,not sure.It was found on long Island in 1976, by me at a place he visited several times.It could be a cape button that he usaully wore.Can you shed some light on it.I will send a picture if need be or please send me photo's of some of his military uniforms.
thanks, Richard T. Herr
Posted by Richard T. Herr on November 24,2010 | 08:50 AM