Edwards, Bryan: [Humphreys, James, publisher]: [Seymour, Joseph H., engraver]:

$12,000 · Offered by William Reese Company

A NEW ATLAS OF THE BRITISH WEST INDIES, WITH A WHOLE SHEET GENERAL MAP OF THE WEST INDIA ISLANDS, AND A WHOLE SHEET MAP OF THE ISLAND OF HISPANIOLA, OR ST. ... A rare early American atlas, published to accompany the Philadelphia edition of Bryan Edwards' HISTORY OF THE WEST INDIES (1806), first published in London in 1793. Edwards (1743-1800) was a British politician and sometime Jamaica planter. "Edwards was a diligent and able writer of West Indian history. Of his literary works, the most important is his two-volume HISTORY, CIVIL AND COMMERCIAL, OF THE BRITISH COLONIES IN THE WEST INDIES, published in London in 1793. According to Elsa Goveia, its scope is large, providing 'a complete account of the British islands - their origin and progress, their political system, their inhabitants, customs, institutions, agriculture and commerce.' Edwards wrote that he attempted 'to describe the manners and dispositions of the present inhabitants, as influenced by climate, situation, and other local causes...an account of the African slave trade, some observations on the negro character and genius, and reflections on the system of slavery established in our colonies.' This classic work ran into five editions, was expanded to five volumes in the last edition, which appeared in 1819, and was translated into French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, and Italian" - DNB.This production is notable as a piece of early American cartography. The first American atlas of any kind was produced in 1794 by

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