A New Map of the Whole Continent of America, conceived by Robert Sayer in 1783 and issued by Sayer & Bennett with an imprint of August 15, 1786, captures a decisive geopolitical turn: the emergence of the United States on the world stage. Among the earliest English maps to acknowledge American independence after the Preliminaries of Peace at Versailles, it presents the Americas in a sweeping, authoritative panorama—from the northern reaches of Canada to the farthest capes of South America and the island constellations of the Caribbean. Sayer’s composition transcends mere record-keeping, fusing diplomacy, discovery, and commerce into a single, lucid statement of the new postwar order and the shifting balance of imperial claims across a transformed hemisphere.

The map’s engraving is refined and exacting, with an ornate title cartouche that embodies late-18th-century taste—allegorical flourishes, disciplined line work, and a poised sense of grandeur. Colorist work clarifies the political theatre: the United States stands apart from British Canada, Spanish dominions sweep through Mexico and the greater part of South America, and Portuguese Brazil is distinctly marked, while island possessions in the Caribbean are carefully differentiated. A neatly graduated graticule underlies the image, signaling a projection designed for clear bearings and comparative distance—an elegant reminder that Sayer’s aesthetics remain in service of navigational and diplomatic clarity. Marginal notes and references to the peace settlements subtly anchor cartography to statecraft.

In the east, the map attains its highest resolution. The United States is delineated with post-independence confidence: state boundaries articulate the new federal mosaic, principal ports and river systems are crisply named, and the Appalachians march southward as a formative spine of settlement and trade. The international boundary, negotiated in the Treaty of Paris, is legible in the contours of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi’s grand sweep, drawing a fresh frontier between the young republic and British Canada. Sayer’s London press—so attuned to official announcements and commercial intelligence—turns diplomatic text into legible space, transforming treaty lines into geography that merchants, ministers, and map-readers could comprehend at a glance.

West of the Mississippi, the tone shifts from certainty to curiosity. Vast interior spaces are sketched with judicious economy, accompanied by annotations that frame territorial claims and scattered settlements. The celebrated “River of the West” appears—an emblem of 18th-century conjecture about a transcontinental waterway linking the interior to the Pacific, echoing earlier dreams of a navigable passage rivaling the Northwest Passage. Insets widen the northern horizon to include remote regions of North America, integrating Arctic shores and subarctic coasts into the continental story. The result is a compelling contrast: the fact-laden Atlantic seaboard set against a Pacific slope still defined by possibility and the cartographer’s informed imagination.

South America and the Caribbean are rendered with equal authority, their colonial patchwork made instantly legible through careful coloring and nomenclature. The Andes rise as a commanding chain, the Amazon system spreads its intricate veins across the interior, and the Río de la Plata anchors the southern cone, while Brazil’s Portuguese identity is plainly distinguished from the Spanish realms of Peru, Chile, and the Viceroyalties to the north. Across the Antilles, European powers are arrayed in vivid mosaic—strategic sugar islands and entrepôts set like jewels in an imperial diadem. Combining elegant illustration with scrupulous political geography, Sayer’s work stands as both a landmark in the recognition of the United States and a majestic summation of 18th-century knowledge of the American continents.

Countries and regions on this map

• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Caribbean Islands
• Countries of South America, including:
• Colombia
• Venezuela
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Chile
• Peru

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Detailed depiction of the eastern United States, showcasing state boundaries.
• The mythical "River of the West" is illustrated, indicating the cartographic assumptions of the time regarding westward connectivity.
• Extensive annotations regarding territorial claims and settlements.
• Insets showing the northern regions of North America, providing a broader geographical context.
• Ornate cartouche displaying the title and decorative elements typical of maps from this period.

Historical and design context

• Created by Robert Sayer in 1783; published by Sayer & Bennett; imprint date August 15, 1786.
• Among the earliest English maps to show the United States post-independence, recognizing American sovereignty following the Preliminaries of Peace (January 20, 1783).
• Thematic focus on political boundaries and physical geography, contrasting well-known eastern regions with largely unexplored western territories.
• Large four-sheet composition with intricate detailing; color coding distinguishes territorial claims and existing nations.
• References to significant historical events (e.g., the Treaty of Paris); elegant illustrations balancing aesthetic appeal with practical uses in navigation and territorial understanding.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This is a very large map that must be ordered at a large size, so that you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.