BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Creator:
Champlain, Samuel de
Title:
Carte de la nouvelle France [westerly
portion of Champlain's 1632 map of New France]
Publication information:
From his
Les Voyages de la Nouvvelle France Occidentale, dicte Canada, 1632
Description:
Copperplate engraving, 53 x 87 cm.
Subjects:
New York
(State)--Maps--Early works to 1800
New England--Maps--Early works to 1800
Canada--Maps--Early works to 1800
Notes:
1.
Scanned from facsimile in Justin Winsor,
Narrative and Critical History of America, IV, p.
387.
Carte de
la nouvelle France [western portion] , 1632
The French contribution to the discovery and mapping
of New York tends to be overlooked, although the French arrived on the
scene at approximately the same time as the Dutch. Their control of the
St. Lawrence River gave them easy entry into northern New York, and they
were quite active as traders, missionaries and soldiers in the areas north
and west of the Dutch and British settlements. The French continued to be
the dominant military power in the area until around 1760, towards the end
of the French and Indian War. They produced many high quality maps
throughout this period.
Champlain is known as the founder of New France. He was
also an important explorer and an expert cartographer. In addition to discovering
Lake Champlain, he explored much of Northern New York, including the area south of Lake
Ontario. He also made an important voyage of exploration along the coast of Northern
New England as far south as the southern shore of Cape Cod. His maps of New York and
the New England coast had considerable influence on subsequent Dutch cartography.
The Champlain map of 1632 shows the extent to which the French had established
themselves at an early date. In spite of its obvious distortions, the
map shows many of the basic features of northern New York. Lake Champlain
is a prominent feature, although it is displaced far to the east. Lake
Ontario and Niagara Falls are clearly shown, although Lake Erie appears
as a kind of channel connecting Lake Ontario with Lake Huron. The Hudson
and Mohawk rivers are also shown, although the Mohawk is shown flowing
to the north. Numerous villages, fields, and trails of the Iroquois and
other Indians are illustrated. At least a hint of the Finger Lakes and
the Adirondack Mountains can be seen. As one would expect, southern New
York is shown in less detail, although the Dutch settlement at New Amsterdam
is symbolized by a church. The Hudson is identified as "Riviere des Trettes,"
and Long Island is given the unusual name "Isle of the Ascension" (Isle
de l’Ascension).
Burden, Mapping of North America , no. 237
Heidenreich, Explorations and Mapping of Samuel de Champlain
Morison, Samuel de Champlain
Revised 3/21/03