This map, the first authoritative map of the British North American colonies, was originally published following the 1754 Albany Conference. That meeting resulted in the first, embryonic, Plan of Union of the colonies. The 1776 edition of the map was accompanied by a pamphlet published by Franklin's business partner, David Hall. Evans' map is evidence of a shift in colonial thought from several separate entities to a larger geographical organism, and can be seen as a prelude to their political organization.