Globalization of the United States, 1789-1861

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Melish, John. A Geographical Description of the United States, with the Contiguous British and Spanish Possessions.... Philadelphia: Published by the author, 1818.

John Melish. A Geographical Description of the United States, with the Contiguous British and Spanish Possessions.... Philadelphia: Published by the author, 1818. Title page.

Melish insisted that American geographical knowledge must change annually to keep up with the “rapid” “progress of society.”

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Upon the whole, we must congratulate our fellow citizens, on the taste for geographical science that is every where exhibited throughout this country. We have frequently remarked that Bradley’s Map of the United States was a better map of this country, than any map of England was of England. It is hoped that the present Map of the United States, will not suffer by comparison. A gentleman of extensive philosophical research, lately returned from Europe, asserted that the geography of this country was much better known than was that of Europe. The assertion was strictly true, and the reason is obvious. In Europe the countries were old before the dawn of geographical science — a small portion of them only have been submitted to actual survey; and the governments being in the hands of a few, a few only are interested in the geography of the country. Here, on the contrary, the countries are new, and have nearly all been surveyed; and All The People are deeply interested in the country. It is Theirs, and a correct knowledge of its geography is to them All-important.

To do the subject justice, however, requires constant exertions. The progress of society is so rapid, that important changes take place every year. Six new counties have been laid out in the state of Pennsylvania since the last census; and upwards of two hundred post-offices have been created since the last edition of the large copy of Reading Howell’s map was published. The new roads and bridges are also very numerous. Greater changes still have taken place in some of the other states.