1702 Le Canada, ou Nouvelle France, la Floride, la Virginie...

Le Canada, ou Nouvelle France, la Floride, la Virginie, Penssilvanie, Caroline, Nouvelle Angleterre et Nouvelle Yorck, l'Isle de Terre Neuve, la Louisiane et le Cours de la Riviere de Mississippi. This is striking little map of Colonial America presenting French ambitions in the new world. Much of the cartography is erroneous, but consistent with geographic knowledge of the time. Engraved by Johannes Van Loon and published by Nicolas De Fer as part of his "Atlas Curieux," this map of North America illustrates a dominating French presence over much of the land. A distinct border running from Nova Scotia, south of the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast of present-day Texas indicates the extent of "Canada ou Nouvelle France." Spanish possessions are minimized and the English colonies are squeezed to the eastern seaboard. This was likely done in an effort to appease King Louis XIV, which was not an uncommon practice. Other British made maps from the same era enlarge the British Colonies, someti