John Calvin Smith, A New Map for Travelers through the United States of America Showing the Railroads, Canals & Stage Roads with the Distances (1846)

This map, created by John Calvin Smith and included in The Illustrated Handbook for Travelers through the United States, depicts the rapidly growing transportation network in the United States as of 1846. Originally a foldout reference map for travelers, it illustrates the network of stage roads, canals, and railroads that linked various cities on the East Coast to areas in the Great Lakes region and beyond. The map also includes smaller inset maps that show more specific transportation networks. For example, the inset map at the top of the map depicts the railroad and canal routes from Albany to Buffalo. The topmost inset map on the right shows the railroads between New York City, Boston, and Albany, as well as the course of the Hudson River from New York City to Albany. Below it, two smaller inset maps depict the railroad routes from New York to Philadelphia and from Philadelphia to Washington. The bottom-right inset depicts Oregon, northern California, and Santa Fe as well as other places in the far west. As a whole, the map highlights the increasing density of transportation networks in the Northeastern United States, as well as the rising interest in the Pacific region.