Virginia Marylandia et Carolina in America Septentrionali

Decorative 18th century map of the Atlantic coast originally aimed at German immigrants.

Early 18th century America was marked with colonial expansion, economic growth, and geopolitical intrigue. That landscape is well-reflected on this decorative map, first published in 1714 in Nuremberg as part of Johann Baptiste Homann’s Atlus Novus. The royal privilege noted under the cartographer’s name indicates this is a later edition, issued sometime after 1730. .

The image presents a fascinating overview of the Atlantic Coast; well-mapped with numerous toponyms, depth soundings, and carefully depicted waterways. Further inland, the geographic information was less readily available and thus noticeably empty. A huge Lake Erie is shown in the upper left, while the semi-mythical Lake Apalachy can be seen in Florida. Scattered hills, apparently almost purely aesthetic, occupy much of the unknown interior.

Plantations, Native American villages, and numerous European settlements are labeled throughout. Notable examples include Philadelphia (plotted into quadrants), Carolina (opposite Cape Fear), and Germantown. The last is of particular interest, as it reflects earlier efforts by Virginia Governor Thomas Spotswood to attract German settlers to the remote region.

The decorative title cartouche reinforces this intent. A well-dressed European man sits atop a heap of trading goods, near the British coat of arms. Elaborately costumed Native Americans exchange furs, jewelry, and food. Preserved fish was particularly important as provisions for long sea voyages, and a large framed building for drying the cut segments is pictured in the lower right.

Sources: Cummings #156; Johns Hopkins Library;