1796 Alberta Map

About the 1796 Arrowsmith Map

This historic document, titled "A map exhibiting all the new discoveries in the interior parts of North America," was authored by the prolific British cartographer Aaron Arrowsmith. Originally published in 1795 and updated in 1796, it represents one of the most significant records of the era's geographical expansion.

The map is a detailed copperplate engraving that synthesizes the latest information provided by the Hudson’s Bay Company and explorers like Alexander Mackenzie. It vividly illustrates the river systems, mountain ranges, and Indigenous territories that would eventually form the province of Alberta, serving as a vital bridge between early exploration and modern Canadian cartography.

Alberta History: Snippets from 1796

• The Rivalry of Forts: By 1796, the fierce competition between the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) and the North West Company (NWC) was in full swing. Near present-day Edmonton, Fort Edmonton (HBC) and Fort Augustus (NWC) were operating side-by-side, established just a year prior to facilitate the booming fur trade.
• David Thompson’s Arrival: In 1796, the legendary explorer and mapmaker David Thompson was still working for the Hudson’s Bay Company, but he was nearing the end of his tenure there. His surveyed routes through the muskeg and mountains during this period provided the raw data that helped refine maps exactly like the Arrowsmith edition.
• Indigenous Diplomacy: The region was a complex landscape of trade and diplomacy. In 1796, the Blackfoot Confederacy held significant influence over the southern plains, acting as "middlemen" in the trade between European outposts and tribes further south and west.