Using the maps that accompanied Guthrie’s Geography, Carey published a remarkable number of atlases during the 1790s and early 1800s. He re-issued the maps to Guthrie’s Geography as Carey’s General Atlas in 1796. Capitalizing on interest in the war in Europe, he published A General Atlas for the Present War in 1794, using the European maps.

His atlases were the first of American manufacture, and underscore Carey’s nationalism.   In 1795, he published Carey’s American Atlas. One year later, he wrote and published Carey’s American Pocket Atlas. He gave detailed descriptions of each state. He described its geographical features, agriculture and the state of its manufactures. He noted the characteristics of its citizens, their religious faiths and the educational system, and other information that helped his readers understand the breadth and diversity of their new country. After enduring the hardships of business travel, he employed S.S. Moore and T.W. Jones to survey major routes from New York to Washington, and published the Traveller’s Directory, including information about major inns.

TRANSITIONS TO PUBLISHER | War in Europe and American Politics in 1790s