Thirty Miles Round Boston Map

by M. Armstrong, 14 Aug 1775.  Pasted down on cardboard, hand colored.

One of the very First map of the American Revolutionary War in Massachusetts, centered on Boston. From  Scots Magazine in 1775. 

The circles extend out in 5-mile intervals, with the map detailing the towns, roads, rivers and other features in the region.

At the top right corner, there is a detailed depiction of the "Action near Charleston 17 June 1775". A note shows the "Provisionals Retreating to Cambridge," as well as battery positions and the troops landing at the far side of the town. Better known as the Battle of Bunker Hill, this marked a major strategic turning point in the Revolutionary War. The British Army attack on the redoubts on Breed Hill, as portrayed on the map, lead a Pyrrhic victory, where they were able to force the "provincials" to retreat albeit with many casualties. This made the British take a more cautious approach to the war, allowing for colonists time to strengthen their numbers, tactical advantages, and politics.

Lower corners contain text listing "Memorable Occurrences " during the early period of the American Revolution. The first note at the left notes "342 Chests of Tea destroyed at Boston 16th Dec 1772. . . " The remainder of the occurrences describe events of the American Revolution, several of these occurring in Boston including the arrival of General Thomas Gage and the blockade of Boston Harbor.

This is one of the first maps of the American Revolutionary War, printed a mere two months after some of the battles it portrays. Printed for a general British audience, the public would have used this to better understand the geographical layout of the early stages of this insurrection. Other British maps at the time, including Lieutenant Page's A Plan of the Action at Bunkers Hill also published 1775, portray a battle more favorable to the British while these plans provide an accurate representation of troop movements. The map is quite rare on the market.