Map of America, French Territories; Antique Map, 1720

This is a museum-grade reproduction of a map of the French Territories in America. In 1720, London geographer and mapmaker, Herman Moll, published this map focusing on France's North American possessions. In a message below the title, he warned his British audience of French encroachment on neighboring English interests in the region and urged them to preserve old friendships with the Iroquois and Cherokees. The depiction of the Southeast was based on English surveys, particularly those of Richard Berresford and Captain Thomas Naime. However, the Southwest, where California is depicted as an island, was based on outdated information that was mistakenly accepted by European mapmakers from the mid-17th century until the early 18th century.