A New and Correct Map of the Coast of Africa

Chart of the West Coast of Africa with explanatory notes of all the Forts and Settlements belonging to European powers. This map was an illustration used in Postlethwayte's Dictionary of Trade and Commerce and was one of the few regional maps included in the work. It shows the importance of West Africa as a trading region for Europeans, particularly in gold and slaves although the commodities are not mentioned. The extensive listing of forts and factories belonging to the French, Portuguese, English and Dutch highlights the levels of European commercial activity in the region. An inset shows the Gold Coast, or modern-day Ghana.

A fascinating thematic piece of cartographic history.

[AFR6149]