1828 Colburn Map of Mexico and the United States before the Texas Revolution

Independent Mexico with the province of Texas.

This is an 1828 Henry Coburn map of Mexico, issued just a few years after Mexican Independence (1821) and a few years before the Texan Revolution (1835 - 1836). Published in Britain, this map highlights British interest, mostly investment-driven, in the ongoing Mexican fight for independence, as well as Austin's Town (Austin, Texas), reflecting the growing Anglo-American presence in Texas.

A Closer Look

The map depicts from Cape Mendocino to Pensacola and from the border of the United States and Mexico (then north of Cape Mendocino) to the Yucatan Peninsula and northern Guatemala. The Mexican border with the United States appears as a dashed line along the Red River, the Arkansas (Arkansaw) River, and across to the Pacific along the 42nd Parallel. Provinces within newly independent Mexico are illustrated and identified, with cities, towns, and villages labeled throughout. San Francisco, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Veracruz, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, and Mexico City are among them. Mountain ranges and rivers are illustrated, and bays, islands, and capes are labeled along the coastlines, including Cozumel. Within the United States, New Orleans, Pensacola, Mobile Bay, and the Mouths of the Mississippi are named. The Mississippi River's extensive network of tributaries, including the Missouri River and the Arkansas River, is illustrated in surprising detail, perhaps underscoring British interest in the Mississippi River.

Texas

Here, Texas is illustrated as a separate province of Mexico. Austin's Town is prominently identified. Founded by Samuel F. Austin in 1821, Austin's Colony was the first Anglo-American settlement in Texas. The colony began as an empresario land grant secured by Austin's father, Moses. Austin brought an initial group of 300 families to his settlement by late 1825 and continued to bring in more families in the following years. Austin and the settlers he brought to Texas would go on to play a major role in the Texas Revolution and the establishment of the Republic of Texas.

Historical Context - Mexican Independence and Spanish Attempts to Reconquer Mexico

On August 24, 1821, Spanish viceroy Juan O'Donojú signed the Treaty of Cordóba, which established an independent Mexico and ended Spanish rule, after which O'Donojú promptly resigned. The victorious Army of the Three Guarantees marched into Mexico City on September 27, 1821, and the next day, the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire proclaimed Mexican independence.

However, Spain did not recognize the Treaty of Cordóba, Mexican independence, or Viceroy O'Donojú's authority to sign the treaty. This lack of recognition led to another 8 years of sporadic fighting as Spain tried to reconquer Mexico. On October 25, 1821, the night before Spain was to relinquish control of the port of Veracruz, Spanish forces occupied San Juan de Ulúa fortress in Veracruz, Mexico's primary port. An uneasy truce followed while the Mexicans vied for control of their newly independent country. This lasted until the Spanish bombarded Veracruz on September 25, 1823. The Mexican Navy began a blockade of the fortress, which finally ended with the capitulation of the garrison on November 23, 1825.

After removing the Spanish from San Juan de Ulúa, the Mexican government set its eyes on Cuba and sent its nascent navy to attack the sea lanes around Cuba. This resulted in the Battle of Mariel on February 10, 1828, which ended in a Spanish victory and Mexican prisoners in Havana.

The final chapter in the Spanish attempt at reconquering Mexico happened near Tampico, Mexico, and was a series of military engagements between July and September that have become known as the Battle of Tampico. A Spanish force landed on Cabo Rojo on July 26, 1829, and advanced towards Tampico. Over the next few months, the Mexicans and the Spanish skirmished several times, but the Spanish could never break out from Tampico. Finally, suffering from disease and attrition and unable to receive reinforcements, the Spanish surrendered and returned to Cuba, which ended the fighting between Mexico and Spain.

Publication History and Census

This map was engraved by Sidney Hall and published by Henry Colburn in April 1828. We note cataloged examples that are part of the collections at the University of Texas at Arlington and the Museum of the Big Bend.

Cartographers

Henry Colburn (1784 - August 16, 1855) was a British publisher. Colburn started off in the publishing profession in the Albemarle Street shop of William Earle, a bookseller in London. His next move was to become an assistant at a circulating library on Conduit Street called Morgan's Library, which he took over in 1816. Eventually he signed this business over to Messrs. Saunders and Otley and opened his own publishing firm. He gained initial success with the roman à clef novel Glenavron by Lady Caroline Lamb and which was published in 1816. It went through four editions and sold well. Colburn later expanded on the success of Glenavron and published a series of so-called 'Silver Fork Novels', a series of books that afforded readers the thrill of peering into the lives of rich and aristocratic families. Colburn also started several periodicals, including the New Monthly Magazine, the Literary Gazette, the earliest weekly newspaper dedicated to literature, science, and the arts. Colburn married twice. His second marriage was to Eliza Anne, who survived him.   Further Details...

Sidney Hall (1788 - 1831) was an English engraver and map publisher active in London during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His earliest imprints, dating to about 1814, suggest a partnership with Michael Thomson, another prominent English map engraver. Hall engraved for most of the prominent London map publishers of his day, including Aaron Arrowsmith, William Faden, William Harwood, and John Thomson, among others. Hall is credited as being one of the earliest adopters of steel plate engraving, a technique that allowed for finer detail and larger print runs due to the exceptional hardness of the medium. Upon his early death - he was only in his 40s - Hall's business was inherited by his wife, Selina Hall, who continued to publish under the imprint, "S. Hall", presumably for continuity. The business eventually passed to Sidney and Selina's nephew Edward Weller, who became extremely prominent in his own right.   Further Details...

Condition

Good. Wear along original fold lines. Verso repairs to fold separations and at fold intersections. Some creasing. Closed tear extending 2.5 inches into printed area from bottom margin professionally repaired on verso. Closed tear extending 7.5 inches into printed area from top margin professionally repaired on verso.

References

OCLC 11824464.