A Cartographer for the New Republic

Presented by John W. Mackey

Freedom Historical Society is delighted to have Freedom resident, John W. Mackey, present “New Hampshire’s Osgood Carleton and his 18th Century Maps: A Cartographer for the New Republic.” The program will be Sunday, August 10 from 4 PM to 6 PM at Freedom Town Hall at 16 Elm Street. Attendees will view historic maps on display at 4 PM preceding the presentation. You are welcome to bring your vintage maps of Freedom or other areas to display at 4 PM during the reception, where refreshments will be served. Maps can also be loaned to Freedom Historical Society for early set up at 28 Old Portland Rd on Saturday from 10 AM to 1 PM.

John W. Mackey’s presentation will explore the world of New Hampshire-born Osgood Carleton and his many contributions to education and mapmaking in the late eighteenth century. Carleton was a cartographer of remarkable talent and a teacher of practical sciences and skills. Among his achievements are a series of maps of Massachusetts and the first highly detailed map of the state’s then northern outpost, the District of Maine. During the talk, attendees will view several of these notable maps, but will focus primarily on his recently discovered 1795 map of Boston. Through a detailed observation of this unusually large Boston map, insights will be learned of Carleton’s vision of a changing city in the decades after American independence.

John W. Mackey is a Master Lecturer of Social Sciences in the College of General Studies at Boston University, and holds a PhD in modern history from Boston College. He teaches courses on U.S. Foreign Policy and Comparative Revolutions in Russia, China, and Iran. His other academic interests include colonial and post-colonial history, and the history of cartography. He is a contributing author to numerous publications. He was awarded a Map Fellowship by the MacLean Collection in 2018, and received awards for outstanding teaching at Boston University (2016), Harvard University (2004), and Boston College (1997). He is a member of the Board of Review of the Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library.

This Sunday afternoon presentation is free and open to the public. Please come and enjoy sharing your maps and viewing those of other attendees prior to the presentation. Reception and map viewing begins at 4 PM.