James Wilson (globe maker)
globe maker from the United States (1763-1855)
James Wilson (March 15, 1763 – March 26, 1855) was the first maker of globes in the United States.
Biography
James Wilson was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire on March 15, 1763, the son of James Wilson and Elanor (Hopkins) Wilson. Wilson was raised and educated in Londonderry, farmed with his father, and trained as a blacksmith. He moved to Bradford, Vermont in 1796, became interested in cartography, and taught himself map making. Though he had little formal education, he purchased an encyclopedia to learn geography, learned techniques for engraving, and began making maps with the intention of producing classroom aids for schoolchildren.
When he visited Dartmouth College's European globe collection, Wilson was inspired by a pair of terrestrial and celestial globes. He left determined to create his own, and produced a heavy wooden sphere covered with ink drawings on paper. Though this first attempt was too heavy and took too long to produce for it to be commercially feasible, Wilson continued look for ways to improve his product. He sought out experts in copper engraving, including Amos Doolittle, in order to master their art.
In 1813, Wilson opened the first geographic globe factory in the United States and sold his initial 13 inch globe for $50.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “James Wilson (globe maker)” as globe maker from the United States (1763-1855). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as globe maker from the United States (1763-1855). Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6145707. VIAF identifies the subject as 38565528. The Library of Congress control number is n92021835. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1763, 1855, 1796 and 1813.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “James Wilson (globe maker)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow James Wilson (globe maker) primary sources, James Wilson (globe maker) archive and James research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “James Wilson (globe maker)”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “James Wilson (globe maker)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.