Ontdekking van Amerika

This rare Dutch map illustrates the gradual discovery of the Americas by the Europeans from Columbus's first voyage in 1492 up to 1841 through a series of 7 maps, each slightly larger and more detailed than the one before. Translated from Dutch, the captions for each map read [from top left to bottom right]...


1. First voyage of Columbus. America discovered, 12 October 1492

2. Second voyage of Columbus. From 1493-1496. Discovered the regular trade wind.

3. Third voyage of Columbus. The mainland sighted. The discoverer of America locked in chains [a reference to Columbus's brief imprisonment for cruelty to the native people of Hispaniola]

4. Fourth and final voyage of Columbus. Overview of his discoveries up to his death. [1502-4]

5. A southern passage discovered. First circumnavigation of the globe. [1520]

6. The rounding of Cape Horn. [1616]

7. 1841

The first four maps focus specifically on the discoveries of Christopher Columbus, so only the Caribbean and parts of northern South America are shown, along with a tiny portion of Labrador according to John Cabot.



The fifth map, which shows the discovery of the Strait of Magellan in 1520, is significantly improved. Spanish discoveries in Mexico, Florida, and Brazil have been added, though the Pacific coast of South America is entirely uncharted, as are the east and west coasts of North America. Vasco Núñez de Balboa's discovery of the Pacific Ocean is recognized and so are the explorations of Ponce de Leon in Florida and Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón in the Carolinas.



The sixth map, showing the rounding of Cape Horn by Willem Schouten in 1616, includes the complete outline of South America, a respectable coastline for the Eastern USA, California as an island, and an unexplored Pacific Northwest.



Lastly, map number 7, the "contemporary" map, shows an almost complete outline of the Americas, though the modern borders between Mexico, the USA, and Canada have not yet been established, and Alaska is still claimed by Russia.


This fascinating diagram was published in the rare Encyklopedische Atlas by Brand Eschauzier. Both the atlas and this specific map are rarely offered for sale.



[AMER1247] (BC)