The First Mapping of America

The narrative centers on the General Survey, highlighting the extraordinary maps created by Samuel Holland and William Gerard De Brahm, the Surveyors-General of the North and South, respectively. Their journey is fraught with both physical challenges and political intrigues as they navigate a landscape dominated by distant Crown administrators and influential speculators. The book explores their ambitions to secure recognition within the British hierarchy while grappling with the complexities of power dynamics that could thwart their efforts.