Map of Massachusetts proper

This map captures Massachusetts defining its place in the new political landscape. The map itself was created through a process that symbolized the values of political localism and federalism. In 1794, the Massachusetts legislature ordered its towns to conduct surveys which would be sent to the capital in Boston, reflecting the nation’s commitment to self-governance and documentation. Now designated a Commonwealth in its new State Constitution—signifying a political body formed by the people—Massachusetts understood that an official map would showcase not just its political boundaries, but its physical and economic character as well. Americans eagerly consumed other geographic publications too, from almanacs and botanical surveys to navigational guides and gazetteers. Massachusetts had transformed from a colony into a sovereign state within the nation, fundamentally changing both its geographic identity and its global relationships.