historical maps
18th century views of my 21st century world
Below is a map from the 1780 edition of Diderot's "Encyclopedié".  It was drawn in 1772 by Robert de Vaugondy, based on one of his earlier maps from 1764.
Another Vaugondy map that attempted to show the Northwest Coast.  But compare this to his "De Fuente" version produced just a few years later in 1778.   Vaugondy was not afraid of speculating, and as usual it is interesting to see what fashionable ideas he does or does not include in each map.
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While this interesting but hard to prove tale is added to Vaugondy's map, the obviously missing feature on this map is the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  We of course take it for granted today since we know it exists.  In the 18th century however it was just one of many features of the Northwest Coast that were known only from old sea tales, Indian legends or conjecture. 

Despite coming close enough to name Cape Flattery, even Cook had missed the Strait of Juan de Fuca due to Fog.  It wasn't until later in 1787 that it was definitively "rediscovered" by Captain Charles William Barkley.  The first chart of the strait was published in 1790, made by another English fur trader, Charles Duncan.  With the hope of the existance of a Northwest Passage revived, George Vancouver brought a version of Duncan's chart with him when he arrived two years later in 1792.
As English and Spanish power grew in the east and south, the Russians had stepped up their exploration of the Aleutians.  Many thought all of Alaska was an archipelago, even though Cook had actually proved the contrary two years before this map was published.
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By 1772 much of North America was well known.  The Spanish had been in Santa Fe for nearly two hundred years, and the rivers and lakes of Canada had been followed and charted by French fur traders.  New Orleans was well established near the mouth fo the Mississippi. 

The river's source and upper reaches however are open for Vaugondy speculation.  Note the Red River "R. Rouge" is shown, but instead of being the south-north border between North Dakota and Minnesota is instead pushed east by a completely ficticious range of mountains.   The poor Missouri River is pushed south, finding its source in the Rockies somewhere in Colorado or Utah.
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North America bulges to the west, largely filled by the "Grand Quivira".  The mythical cities of gold were once again just over the next mountain, but by this time were edging ever closer to the coast.  Other familiar features such as Cape Mendocino (CA) and Cape Blanco (OR) are shown, as is the entrace of Martin Aguilar.  Another rather outrageous claim is showing the "possible end of Moneacht-Apé's voyage".
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Moneacht-Apé was a Yazoo indian whose story was told in Le Page du Pratz's "History of Louisiana".  To seek the origin of his people, he supposedly followed the Missouri and then walked west until he reached the Pacific Ocean.  There he was told of the Anian (Bering) straits and possible land-ice bridge to Asia.  Several 18th century French writers siezed on this story as a proof that the indians had come from Asia - and could possibly be a lost tribe of Israel.  The Mormon church cited this tale as evidence in the 19th century.