Carte Contenant le Royaume du Mexique et la Floride, Dressez sur les Meilleures Observations & sur les Memoires les Plus Nouveaux

Early 18th century discoveries across much of North America, mapped.

This striking map covers much of North America, Central America, and the West Indies at a pivotal period in the colonial history of the continent. Competing claims between Spanish, French and British settlers are reflected in regional labels with ambiguous borders over half a century before the United States declared independence.

Pictorial elements show topographic detail, natural features, and both European and indigenous settlements. Geographic information and various place names highlight the latest in European exploration, especially in the American Southwest and Upper Midwest. Despite the efforts of the cartographer to display the most up-to-date data, several cartographic myths are present, notably the legendary city of Quivira. Descriptive French text in the lower-left provides further contemporary context on the history and geography of the area.

The map was published around 1720 by Henri Chatelain, as part of his monumental 7 volume work Atlas Historique. It’s based upon a seminal map of North America by famed French cartographer Guillaume De L’Isle’s issued about 2 decades earlier. The image was instrumental in European understanding of the region in the first half of the 18th century.