1630 Nova Virginiae Tabula

By: Henricus Hondius   Date: 1630 (circa) Amsterdam   Dimensions: 15 x 19.5 inches (38 x 49.5 cm)   This map of the Chesapeake Bay region is among the most influential of its era, credited with spreading knowledge of the English settlement in Virginia throughout Europe in the 17th century. It is based on Captain John Smith’s seminal 1612 map, the first to depict the bay, its tributaries, and surrounding waterways with reliable accuracy. Cartographic Detail, Sources, and Decorative Elements The engraving is rich with geographic and ethnographic detail, showing rivers, uplands, and numerous Indigenous nations, most situated along waterways vital for travel, trade, and survival. Small crosses appear throughout the map, marking the limits of Smith’s personal exploration; beyond them the geography was drawn from Indigenous accounts. The key in the upper right explains the map’s settlement symbols: circles for habitations, circles with central dots for chiefs’ houses, wigwam-like forms for v