Map of British and French Territories in North America

This map is an oil copy of the John Mitchell original printed in 1755 by Thomas Jeffreys and William Faden in London. The map is of particular interest as it was used to show the borders being established in the United States after the 1783 Peace of Paris, which explains why there are so few place names and geographical features.

Using Mitchell's 1755 map, peace talks began with England and the Count of Aranda (Spain's ambassador to France) was commissioned by the Spanish government to defend the country's interests as new borders were drawn up in North America. This document is very possibly the exact one showing these new borders which was sent by the Count of Aranda to the Count of Floridablanca in January 1783 for the Spanish court's information, meaning the map became a key political document as well as a work of art.