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New England. SMITH, CAPT. J./ HULSIUS, L. [Frankfurt, 1617] New England. 11 5/8 x 13 ½ inches. Excellent condition. “The foundation map of New England cartography, the one that gave it its name and the first devoted to the region” (Burden 187). This scarce Hulsius edition was published the year following the very rare, original English edition. It is a virtually exact re-engraving of the first state of this landmark map and includes the splendid portrait of Smith. Smith’s “New England” is one of the few maps that is not only a primary historical source but also, in fact, influenced history. It was consulted by the Pilgrims prior to their voyage to America, and Smith’s laudatory account of the Plymouth area (which Smith named) induced the Pilgrims to settle there, after their first landfall on Cape Cod proved unsatisfactory. Few of the other place names on this map survived. To curry favor with the court, Smith allowed the young Prince Charles to select the place names for his map, all of which referred to members of the royal family and nobility. Smith produced the map primarily to induce investors in a scheme to colonize New England. There are nine states of the extremely rare English edition, many of which were published well into the 1630’s. Unlike Smith’s map Virginia, which abounds in later derivatives, this map was not re-published in an edition other than this one until the late 19th century. Burden190.
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