L’Amerique, Divisee Selon Letendue De Ses Principales Parties, Et Dont Les Points Principaux Sont Placez Sur Les Observations

Nicolas De Fer’s famous wall map of the Americas is one of the most celebrated and significant cartographic works of the early 18th century. Beyond being a geographical representation of the American continent, it is also a crucial historical document that reflects France’s colonial ambitions, the level of knowledge of the time, and the principal economic resources of the New World. Printed on four sheets engraved by Hendrick van Loon and Nicolas Guerard, it was first published in 1698. This particular example is from the 1717 edition, curated by Jacques-François Benard. French text flanks the sides, describing numerous American regions, including Louisiana, Florida, and the British colonies. The map is richly decorated with elaborate cartouches, galleons, and six medallions featuring famous explorers and rulers, including Magellan, Columbus, Vespucci, Pizarro, Montezuma, and Artha Balipa. The still-unexplored North Pacific is obscured by a scene illustrating Native Americans.
A Masterpiece of French Cartography
Nicolas De Fer, one of the most important French cartographers of his era, created this map at a time when France was striving to consolidate its influence in the Americas. The map synthesizes information gathered from 17th-century French explorations, particularly those led by Jesuits and renowned explorers such as Samuel de Champlain, Louis Jolliet, Jacques Marquette, and René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle. The work reflects the growing European knowledge of North America and underscores France’s strategic dominance over waterways—an essential element for the fur trade and colonial expansion. Fascinating historical and geographical inaccuracies are present, such as the British colonies being confined to the eastern coast, while Florida extends northward to present-day West Virginia and westward to modern-day Texas. A notable feature in northern Mexico is “Les Mines de St. Jean et de Ste. Barbe,” the legendary Santa Barbara mines in the Chihuahua-Durango region. In South America, the map depicts a vast “Marais ou Lagunes de los Xarajes” at the continent’s center. Another intriguing detail is the partial representation of New Zealand, appearing in the lower-left corner.
The Famous Beaver Scene
What makes this map particularly iconic is its famous beaver vignette, located in the lower-left corner. This scene depicts dozens of beavers busily constructing a dam near Niagara Falls. The engraving, created by Nicolas Guerard, was inspired by the first printed view of the falls, published by Louis Hennepin in 1697. At first glance, the scene appears to be a simple decorative detail, but in reality, it carries significant symbolic and economic meaning. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the fur trade was one of New France’s most lucrative industries. Beaver pelts were highly sought after in Europe, where they were used to manufacture hats and other luxury goods. Thus, the presence of beavers in the map symbolized wealth and abundance for French explorers and traders.
However, the representation of the beavers in the vignette is highly idealized and unrealistic. The animals are depicted anthropomorphically: some carry branches on their shoulders, others walk on their hind legs transporting mud with their tails, while a legend even identifies “architects” and “foremen.” This imagery emphasizes industriousness and the organization of the fur trade, contributing to the near-mythological perception of North America as a land of opportunity and natural riches.
The popularity of this scene was such that it was later adopted by the cartographer Herman Moll, who included it in his map of British territories in North America. The image became an enduring icon of colonial cartography, helping to propagate the myth of North America as an inexhaustible source of natural resources.
The Significance of De Fer’s Map in Colonial Cartography
Beyond the beaver scene, De Fer’s map includes other vignettes illustrating the continent’s key economic resources. Another significant depiction is found in the upper-right corner, showing a typical cod-processing station along the coast of Newfoundland. The Grand Banks cod fishery was a cornerstone of the North American economy, serving as a vital resource for trade between Europe and the New World.
From a historical perspective, this map represents the culmination of European knowledge of North America at the close of the 17th century. It compiles information from French explorations into a coherent and detailed representation, making it one of the most important cartographic tools of its time. However, more than just a navigational aid, De Fer’s map had a propagandistic purpose: it was designed to stimulate interest among French explorers, merchants, and investors by presenting the New World as a land rich in opportunities and resources.
One of the most intriguing aspects of De Fer’s map is its persistence in depicting California as an island. This misconception, originating from 17th-century Spanish explorers’ accounts, was widely disseminated in Europe through Dutch, English, and French maps. The error was based on misinterpretations of Sebastián Vizcaíno’s reports and manuscript maps by Fray Antonio de la Ascensión, which depicted California as separated from the mainland.
Although some French cartographers, such as Guillaume De L’Isle, had begun correcting this representation as early as 1700, De Fer’s map retained the error, reflecting the lingering confusion among European geographers. It was only through the work of Jesuit explorers like Eusebio Kino, who definitively documented the peninsula’s true geography, that the mistake was gradually corrected, leading to the eventual elimination of the “Island of California” from maps by the mid-18th century. Nevertheless, even into the 1740s, some cartographers, including Herman Moll, continued to defend the island theory, prompting King Ferdinand VII of Spain to issue a decree in 1747 officially declaring California a peninsula.
Nicolas De Fer’s map is far more than a simple geographical depiction of the Americas—it is a historical document that reflects France’s vision of the New World at the dawn of the 18th century. Through a combination of cartographic accuracy, decorative elements, and symbolic imagery, it conveys a clear message: North America is a land of abundance and economic opportunity, where France plays a dominant role.