James Wilson was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire on March 15, 1765. His father was a farmer, and James was an apprentice to a blacksmith. He had little formal education. In 1796 he removed to Bradford, Vermont and taught himself cartography. To make up for a lack of education, he bought a copy of the Encyclopedia Britannica. At Dartmouth College he saw a pair of English globes, and became interested in producing his own. He began by turning solid blocks of wood, and covering them with maps. H
