A new map of the western rivers, or, Travellers guide : exhibiting the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Illinois rivers with all the principal towns, islands & distances

America Transformed: This map, designed for travelers, compressed the Mississippi River and its major tributaries—the Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri—onto one compact sheet, providing a succinct guide to towns and distances along the navigable portions of the rivers. The Mississippi River and its tributaries provided transportation arteries for exploration, commerce, and travel. Starting in the early 19th century, steamboats dominated transportation on these navigable rivers. Canals, also introduced in the early 19th century, improved transportation, but they required significant investments into infrastructure. Steamboats, on the other hand, could travel on existing waterways and, unlike boats that relied on sails, against the current.
Courtesy of Boston Public Library