Rare 1776 edition of Longchamps’ map of the colonies in Eastern North America

Description

This is the second state of this uncommon, separately issued map by Sébastian G. Longchamps. It outlines colonial possessions throughout much of Eastern North America, bound by the Hudson Bay, Newfoundland, the Atlantic, North Carolina, and the Mississippi. A large inset at lower right shows South Carolina, Georgia, the northern part of Florida, and Louisiana southeast of the Mississippi, including New Orleans.

The map was first issued in 1756, during the French and Indian War, under the title Carte des Possessions Francoises et Angloises dans le Canada, et Partie de la Louisiane, i.e. Map of the French and English possessions in Canada and part of Louisiana. At the centre of the war, which had started in 1754, were disputes over trade and territorial claims in North America, between the colonial powers of Great Britain and France, fought about together with their respective Native American allies. Of particular focus were the Ohio River Valley, with initial conflict triggered by French fort construction (Fort Duquesne, noted on the map as “Ft. du Quêne”) at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers (forming the Ohio River in present-day Pittsburgh), and lands to both sides of the Mississippi, at the time largely unsettled but claimed by both Great Britain and France.

While the French and Indian War was only a partial contributor to the global Seven Years’ War, which had started in 1756, the formal outcome of the latter, as reflected in the Treaty of Paris (1763), redefined the borders in North America. One of the key parts of this was France ceding all its territorial claims and possessions in North America, with the only small exception (to this day) being the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

The main difference between the two states of the map – other than a few additional place names and a rococo-style title cartouche in the 1776 version – is the change in outline colouring, reflecting these political developments and also aligning with the respective map title.

While the first state, from 1756, shows vast French possessions and claims (typically in green colour, with British shown in red and Spanish in yellow), these have shrunk in the second state, i.e. the present map from 1776, to only highlight Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Meanwhile, Florida’s borderline colour has changed from yellow to red, reflecting Spain’s cession of the colony to Great Britain in exchange for the return of Cuba, which the British had captured in 1762 during the Seven Years’ War. Finally, part of Louisiana’s outline has changed from green to yellow, indicating its transfer into Spanish hands. However, while this particular border should fully align with the course of the Mississippi (with Spanish possessions west of it and British to the east), it is – apparently by mistake – shown partially further to the east, first running along the Ohio, then turning east and finally south, aligning with the southern end of the Appalachians.

The map is rich in detail. It includes the following notable features:

• Relief is depicted pictorially.
• Rivers, lakes, native and colonial settlements (incl. numerous forts), and administrative divisions are shown in much detail and named, where applicable.
• Some of the islands in Lake Superior, such as Phelipeaux, Maurepas, Ponchartrain, and Sainte Anne, are either imaginary or a misrepresentation of other islands.
• Numerous Native North American peoples are named throughout, including Outagamie (Les Outagamis ou Renards), Odawa (Outaouais), Algonquin (Algonquins), and Chickasaw (Chicachas), to name but a few.
• A significant part of the original dashed lines (i.e. from the 1756 edition of the map), demarking possessions and claims of competing European powers, had become obsolete by the time the present (1776) edition was published, yet they were not “erased”, likely due to the re-engraving effort this would have required. The mentioned change in outline colouring appears to have been the accepted workaround.

A small cartouche at bottom centre of the map contains three distance scales.

Engraved by Gobert-Denis Chambon.

A scarce map documenting British wins resulting from the French and Indian War, ironically published in the year of the American Declaration of Independence.

Rarity

The 1776 edition of the map is rather rare on the market. We are able to trace only three sales by dealers, and none by auction houses, over the last 40 years.

Condition

Please enquire.

Item #: 02948

US $2,500.00

Status: On Hold

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