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Description

Fourth State of Blome's increasing rare map of North America, the second earliest map of the continent published in England, after Briggs landmark map.

This is the third state, the first to name Carolina, Charles Towne and the Ashley River. The map is based upon Nicolas Sanson's landmark map of North America.

Blome's map of North America is the first English map to depict all five Great Lakes and introduces some significant cartographic advances. Newfoundland is improved with the depiction of the Avalon Peninsula. The Mid Atlantic region is significantly improved--with Maryland prominently named, reflecting importance of this region to the map's first patron, Lord Baltimore. This is also one of the earliest appearances of the name New Yorke, with New Amsterdam erased immediately below it. There is a curious mountain range in Florida.

The first state of the map pre-dates the naming of the Carolina Colony, which is not named until state 3.

The map is richly embellished with animals, sea monsters and sailing ships, along with a lone Indian. The significant cartographic Anglocentric corrections in this map have received little attention, although the map is much scarcer than contemporary French and Dutch maps.

According to Burden, there are 6 states of the map, identifiable as follows:

  • First (Proof?) State: dated 1668, with dedication to Caecilius Calvert Baron Baltemore
  • Second State): dated 1669.
  • Third State (circa 1682):  date erased and dedication changed the Earle of Shaftesbury.  Carolina is named.
  • Fourth State (1682): The name Weapemeoc is changed to Albermarle. The Trinity and Jordan Rivers are displaced by the addition of Charles Towne and the Ashley R.
  • Fifth State (1683): Dedication with 8 family lines now listed, rather than 2 in the prior state. Virginia-Carolina Border move north above Albermarle.
  • Sixth State (1693): Paste down dedication to Jeffery Jefferys of the Priory of Brecknock pasted over the dedication in State 5.
Reference
Burden 397, McLaughlin 42, Tooley 26-28, Wagner 368, Leighly 55.