This topographical map of Narragansett Bay was based on surveys conducted in 1764 and 1774 by military engineer Charles Blaskowitz. Blaskowitz worked with Samuel Holland to survey the northern Atlantic coast. Londoner William Faden published this 1777 map when the British occupied Newport, Rhode Island. The following year, America's alliance with the French faced its first test during the inconclusive Battle of Rhode Island. This map features the coastline and islands, locating individual farmsteads and towns. Marginal text praises Rhode Island for the "perfection" of its fish, and notes that residents are free to practice any religion they choose.
We Are One: After evacuating Boston, the British focused their campaign on New York City. They took the city during the summer and fall of 1776. Charles Blaskowitz, one of the most accomplished topographical engineers in the British military, made this manuscript map for General Sir William Erskine, a participant in one of the battles portrayed. Blaskowitz documented the British military encampments and activities in the vicinity of New York City on this “Campaign Headquarters Map.” He combined specifics of key events overlaid on topography that was systematically surveyed, resulting in a map that is both comprehensive as well as aesthetically pleasing.