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1775 Revolutionary War MAP titled: A New and Correct Plan of the Town of Boston

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:800.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 1,500.00 USD
1775 Revolutionary War MAP titled: A New and Correct Plan of the Town of Boston
American Revolution
1775 - “A New and Correct Plan of the Town of Boston”
October 1775-Dated Revolutionary War Historical Map Issue, THE GENTLEMAN’S MAGAZINE, with fold-out Map titled, “A New and Correct Plan of the Town of Boston.” London, Choice Crisp Near Mint.
Choice quality complete October 3rd, 1775 Issue, measuring 8.5” x 5.25”, 2-column layout, 48 pages, “By Sylvanus Urban / Printed for D. Henry at St. John’s Gate. (London)” Added blue paper outer string bound wrappers intact with an early printed title, fresh, crisp and extremely clean interior and overall print. This historic Revolutionary War period issue features a nice fold-out period Map titled, “A New and Correct Plan of the Town of Boston.”, which measures 10.75” x 8.25” (275 x 210 mm), being an uncolored Copper Plate Engraving with wonderful details. It shows a detailed plan of Boston and the Charles River, from immediately prior to the Revolution, including Streets, Wharfs, Hills, Ponds, etc. with many of the streets named. Also shown are; Battery Common, South Battery, North Battery, Hudson's Point, Mill Pond, Boston Hill, Magazine, Corps Hill, the Charles Town Ferry, the Ruins of Charles Town, Dock Square, Waldo's Wharf and many other interesting place names. Also in this issue, a “Summary of Proceedings in the present Parliament,” beginning on page 459, focusing on the Rebellion, in part:

“Those who have long too successfully laboured to inflame my people in America by gross misrepresentations, and to infuse into their minds a system of opinions repugnant to the true constitution of the Colonists, and to their subordinate relation to Great Britain, now openly avow their revolt, hostility, and rebellion. They have raised troops, and are collecting a naval force; they have seized the public revenue, and assumed to themselves legislative, executive, and judicial powers, which they already exercise, in the most arbitrary manner, over the persons and properties of their fellow subjects...”.

Complete with letters to the editor, and sentiments for and against the American Colonists, plus two pages reporting, “Proceedings of the American Colonies”. Wonderful important period reporting and content, with firsthand accounts of the growing unrest in America.
This map, copied from one which first appeared in the July 1775 issue of the Pennsylvania Magazine shows a larger view of the town of Boston including the layout of the town and Boston Neck, in the lower right corner, at the time of the siege of Boston with the line of provincial forces.

Prior to the mid-nineteenth century, when the Back Bay was filled in with topsoil, Boston was a peninsula with only a narrow strip of land called "The Neck" connecting the city to the mainland as indicated in the lower left portion of this map. Also note the large wharfs protruding into the harbor on the East, indicating the importance of the port to the region's commerce and trade. In 1770, Boston had a population of 15,520.

This map also details the British battery on the common and their fortifications of The Neck. At the very bottom of the insert can also be seen the American lines opposite the British and also indicates various forts and artillery positions.

After the Battles of Lexington and Concord some 10,000 Provincial Militia came from throughout New England and laid siege to Boston effectively stopping the British from leaving the town by land. George Washington took command of these troops as Commander in Chief on July 3, 1775. The siege was in place until the British evacuated Boston on March 17, 1776.