The years after the Revolutionary War saw the emergence of a distinctly American cartography, one that reflected the ambition and optimism characteristic of the young United States.

In early 2011 the Harvard Map Collection featured this transitional period in “Toward a National Cartography: American Mapmaking, 1782-1800.” Organized by guest curator Michael Buehler of Boston Rare Maps, this exhibit featured 22 rare maps, atlases and books from the collections of Harvard, the American Antiquarian Society, the Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library, and private lenders. Among the great American mapmakers represented were Sebastian Bauman, Abraham Bradley, Osgood Carleton, Andrew Ellicott, John Fitch, and John Norman.

AmericanMapmaking.com presents a virtual tour of this important exhibition.