Henry Schenk Tanner; 1786 - 1858.

A key man in american cartography, known for the quality of his large maps (for his 1818 "A new american atlas" he used the so-called elephant folio format, which is the largest print size), he began his career as an engraver (working in particular for the famous John Melish, provider of United States wall maps to five US presidents).
He was mostly productive between 1818 and 1846, publishing in particular the most respected 1828 "New universal atlas". Always publishing in Philadelphia, he also edited the 1834 "The american traveler".
His son, Thomas, continued publishing his work for about 20 years after his death, but the most commercially successful map plates were sold to the Johnson Map Company.

West Indies.

This map (14 3/16" X 11 ¼') was initially produced for the 1828 Universal Atlas, updated and re-issued several times afterwards.
The present item is dated 1834.
It shows in crisp details the possessions claimed by the different european powers in the Caribbean area.
Notice in particular how the enormous spanish colonial empire has shrunk, basically left with Cuba, Puerto Rico and a handful of lesser islands.
By that time, Florida had become a US territory, and Mexico had obtained independence, like most of the central America and south America former provinces and vice-kingdoms.
Note that Haiti, having won independence from France in1804 is shown as covering the whole Santo Domingo island (the Dominican Republic will emancipate from haitian control later in 1844).
Note the presence of a large lake in Florida, then known as Lake Mayaco (or Macoco on some other maps of the same year).
No text on verso.