1843 Brue Map of North American and Republic of Texas

Map exhiiting French interest in a California colony and the Republic of Texas.

This is a spectacular and enormous 1843 French wall map of North America, including the Republic of Texas, dissected and on linen, issued by Adrien-Hubert Brué and Charles Picquet. The map represents an ephemeral historical period when France, coming out of the First French Intervention in Mexico, was seriously considering a colonizing play for California. With increased hegemony over Mexico, a mutually beneficial alliance with the Republic of Texas, and a potential colony in California, France was well positioned to push for dominance over all of western North America - inspiring considerable French enthusiasm and great interest in North America among the French populace. This map is perhaps the signal largest and most impressive cartographic statement of King Louis Phliippe ambitions of a new French empire in North America. While it may simply be chance, it is striking the light blue used to represent French properties is also used for Mexico, California, and Russian Alaska.

Historical Context of this Map

The Mexican War of Independence, fought between 1810 and 1821, fully destabilized the Mexican economy. Although Mexico achieved its hard-won independence from Spain, centuries of established trade relationships with Spanish interests were abruptly terminated. At the same time, Mexico had accrued a massive war debt, mostly with British financers. Lacking the ability to repay their debt, the Mexican government instead began granting trade and mining concessions to the British creditors.

They also sought another European trading partner in France. Favorable terms led to considerable French investment despite an increasingly insolvent and destabilized Mexican government. By 1830 the French investors and merchants were Mexico's third largest trading partners, after the United States and England.

Nonetheless, civil disorder throughout Mexico lead to the regular looting and destruction of private property. In 1832 a French pastry chef, Monsieur Remontel, claimed that Mexican soldiers looted his shop causing some 60,000 pesos in damage (apparently his shop was only worth about 1000 pesos). This and another offences, among them the 1837 execution of a French pirate, led the French prime minister Louis-Mathieu Molé to demand Mexico pay restitution of 600,000 pesos. When Mexico ignored the demand, the French ordered a naval blockade of all Mexico ports and sized Veracruz - what is today known as the Pastry War. Mexico ultimately agreed to pay the 600,000 pesos and offered numerous trade concessions to France, further increasing French interest in Mexican trade.

French Interest in a California Colony

By 1839, British financiers continued to press Mexico for war debt payment and the Mexican government seriously considering ceding all of California to Britain in lieu of this debt. France, with an antipathy and sense of superiority after having humiliated Mexico in the Pastry War, was not to be outdone, and took every opportunity to further destabilize Mexico to its own end. First, by recognizing Texas, and second, by laying the groundwork doe its own play for California.

The French diplomat Eugène Duflot de Mofras was dispatched to assess the viability of a French bid for California, as well as perform a reconnaissance on American and British activity in the region. Writing in 1840, shortly before this historic map was issued, Duflot de Mofras said, 'it is evident that California will belong to whatever nation chooses to send there a man-of-war and two hundred men.' In 1841, Mexican General Vallejo wrote to California Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado that '...there is no doubt that France is intriguing to become mistress of California'. At the same time, the German-Swiss francophile settler John Sutter, soon to be of Gold Rush fame, threatened to raise the French flag over California and place himself and his settlement, New Helvetia, under French protection. This map while predating Mofras' own map by one year, represents the extent of French interest in the Americas, including its recognition of Texas, and general interest in California.

France Recognizes the Republic of Texas

When Texas ceded from Mexico on April 21 of 1836, it immediately sought legitimacy through diplomatic appeals to major world powers - most of which were in Europe. Most European powers were reluctant to recognize the self-proclaimed Republic until it became clear that it could survive and what diplomatic ramifications, if any, formal recognition might yield. Nonetheless, France under King Louis Phliippe recognized Texas on September 25, 1839. This act may have been partially trade inspired, and partially motivated by French antipathy towards Mexico following the First French Intervention or Pastry War (1838 - 1839). Recognizing Texas diplomatically allowed France to open official trade channels, particularly for cotton, a vital commodity in Europe and an increasing cause of tension between France and Britain. Moreover, the recognition of Texas accelerated the destabilization of Mexico, increasing the probability that any colonial aspirations the French may have had in seizing California would be successful.

Publication History and Census

This map appeared in several editions beginning in 1833. Revised editions were published in 1836, 1838, 1840, and as here, 1843. The map was the most significant French map of North America published in the early to mid 19th century. It is today quite scarce. We are aware of one other example of this 1843 edition, in the holdings of Texas Tech University's Southwest Collection. The more common 1833 first edition is represented in two European national collections and the Library of Congress.

Cartographers

Adrien-Hubert Brué (March 20, 1786 – July 16, 1832) was a prominent French cartographer and geographer of the early 19th century. Born in Paris, Brué went to sea as a cabin boy at the age of twelve and, at fourteen, joined the Naturaliste, one of the two principal vessels of the Baudin Expedition (1800 - 1804) to the South Pacific. After returning to France, he devoted himself to cartography, earning distinction for the exceptional clarity, precision, and elegance of his maps. Brué drew many of his maps directly onto the copperplate, an innovative method he dubbed encyprotype. This technique produced exceptionally fine outlines, facilitated the careful revision of topography and relief, and allowed waterways to be differentiated by the weight of their engraved lines, making their relative importance immediately apparent. Brué eventually received the prestigious title Géographe du Roi, which he frequently appended to his signature, and in that capacity contributed to thousands of maps and numerous important atlases. Suffering from declining health, he retired to Sceaux, outside Paris, in search of cleaner air, but died there during the cholera epidemic of 1832. He was a member of the Central Commission of the Société de Géographie de Paris and an associate of the Geographical Society of London. Brué left numerous works unfinished at his death; several were published posthumously by his widow in 1834, before she transferred the business to Pierre-Jacques Picquet, son and successor of Brué's former associate Charles Picquet (1771 - 1827). Brué's maps continued to be revised and republished for decades, attesting to their enduring authority and commercial importance.   Further Details...

Charles Picquet (April 15, 1771 – January 15, 1827) was a French cartographer active in Paris during the Napoleonic and post-Napoleonic Eras. Picquet was born in Romagna-sous-Montfaucon, Meuse, France. From about 1798 Picquet supplied maps to the Dépôt de la Guerre. From 1806 he was appointed to Napoleon's Cabinet Topographique. Being politically dexterous, he was able to retain this position after the fall of Napoleon under both Louis XVIII and Charles X. Under Louis XVIII he also obtained the Brevet de Géographe Ordinaire du Cabinet Topographique. He worked with the cartographer Adrien-Hubert Brué (1787 - 1832) on a major atlas project. When Charles Picquet died in 1827, his son, Pierre-Jacques Picquet, continued to publish under his father's imprint name well into the middle part of the 19th century. From roughly 1839, one J. Barthelemier also claimed to be the 'seul acquéreur et successor' of the 'ancienne maison Ch. Picquet' though it is unclear if he succeeded the younger Picquet or challenged his claim to succession. Barthelemier only published maps infrequently until the late 1850s, after which he maintained a more steady output until the early-mid 1870s.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Original linen backing reinforced in places. Mild toning. Some light spotting.

References

OCLC 742893854.