The United States and Great Britain established in 1818 joint claim over the Oregon Territory - the region north of Spanish controlled Upper California up to the southern boundary of Russia's Alaska Territory at North latitude 54°40'. By the late 1830's this arrangement was beginning to fall apart. In the 1840's the expansionist Democrats, including their 1844 presidential candidate, James Polk, claimed the entire region for the United States. Their expansionist desires were expressed by Polk's famous campaign slogan, "Fifty-four Forty or Fight!" The slogan also became a rally cry for Americans desiring to settle the territory. Following Polk's election, the dispute was resolved by the 1846 Treaty of Oregon, which struck a compromise that fixed the U.S./Canadian boundary at 49º North.

This scarce French map of the Americas by Adolphe Lorrain is derived from similar maps by Lapie and Brue. North America is also called Colombie. In the Pacific Northwest, the United States' claims extend into present-day Canada, reflecting the Oregon boundary dispute. Present-day Texas and the American Southwest are still part of Mexico. There are hints of a Northwest Passage, including Lac Bernalda, a vast lake in Alaska that was allegedly discovered by the the mythical Admiral De Fonte in 1640. A small configuration of the legendary lake Xaraye appears in the center of South America. Tribal names appear throughout the continents. Three inset maps along the left edge of the map zoom in on the islands of the Caribbean. The coasts of Europe and Africa are delineated across the Atlantic, with no inland detail. Published by Bulla and Cereghetti. Engraved by R. Thuillier, with lettering by J.D. Lale. Dissected into 20 panels and backed with linen.

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Condition: B+

Light soiling. Dissected and backed with linen.