An early issue of this oft-reworked Mexican-American War map. The earliest issue is thought to have the inset battle plan at the top uncolored, and identified only as the Late Battlefield, this issue has the battlefield of Buena Vista noted which means that it was issued sometime after late February when news of the United States victory at Buena Vista would have been known. This map was part of the series of popular maps published by Mitchell to provide constantly evolving news to satisfy the public’s riveted focus on the course of the Mexican War and “Manifest Destiny.” What began as a rather modest affair changed over the course of the war, with Mitchell revising his original map until it had grown far larger than this early issue. Later in 1847 he added a large inset Map of the Principal Roads, but with the same title to the upper inset. In yet another version of the larger map, the inset at upper right is renamed The Battlefield of Monterey. See Streeter Sale 3868, Taliaferro 284, and Wheat, 548, Maps of the California Gold Region, 35. In this map Texas is outlined in bright rose in the Emory configuration, with its extended Panhandle extending north into Wyoming.

 

This map is an example of Manifest Destiny expressed cartographically. As the Mexican-American War progressed, Mitchell reissued this map, each time slightly altering the plate to reflect American progress towards Mexico City and marking battle grounds with a flag. Older battles shown include the Alamo, and San Jacinto. Battles in the present war include Resaca de la Palma, Palo Alto, Monterrey, which is shown in the inset, and Buena Vista. Texas is shown as an independent entity with its border at the Rio Grande River and its Panhandle extending all the way to the 42^nd parallel. If the map itself is not blunt enough, the text of the “Extent and Population of Mexico” makes the point of view clear: “in the above statement Mexico is represented as entire, with the exception of Texas; but at the present time (1846) New California, New Mexico, and Yucatan, comprising about two-fifths of her territory, can hardly be considered as belonging to her. New California was taken possession of by Commodore Sloat, July 7^th, 1846, and New Mexico by General Kearney, August, 1846. Yucatan has declared her independence, yet it is not positively hostile to the Mexican government: and but a little reliance can be placed on the permanency of her present position.”