An attractive example of a very rare map of colonial North America which was prepared for the Society of Anti-Gallicans. It is one of the most political maps published ever published on America. The year 1755 is writ large in American cartographic heritage with the publication also of John Mitchell’s map of North America and Lewis Evan’s map of the Middle Colonies. Blatantly anti-French the map leaves only one region, uncoloured, that it believed legitimately belonged to the French, even that region of Quebec was left unnamed. In this period leading up to the French and Indian War 1756-63 there was an increasing aggressive competition between Britain and France for control of the North American continent. This developed into printed materials issued to support each others claims. The French laid claim to the entire watershed of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. This map is issued at the height of the conflict just before the outbreak of open warfare.

The boundaries of New York, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia all extend west of the Mississippi River and on through Louisiana. The map displays numerous French Forts in apparent British territory deliberately designed to inflame the populace. It also illustrates the British forts along the Ohio, Wabash, Lakes Champlain and George, Connecticut and Illinois Rivers and even Georgia. The map includes numerous insets with a map of the North Atlantic Ocean and plans of Fort Frederick (Crown or Scalp Point), Fort Dauphin in Cape Breton Island, Annapolis Royal, Quebec, Louisbourg and Chebucto.

Mary Pedley writes ‘the Anti-Gallican map differs from other printed maps of 1755 [by utilising] available French and British cartographical sources to create a powerful image of an expanding overseas empire facing an internal threat that could only be defeated by the use of arms. The incorporation of subtle propaganda into the map’s design reflects a concerted effort on the part of the map’s compiler to promote the cause of the Anti-Gallicans, who sought independence from French commerce and design influence.’ The Osher Library state ‘This map, made after the onset of hostilities, is perhaps the most blatant of the British propaganda maps. The issuers, a “Society of Anti-Gallicans,” make no pretence of impartiality, and present an aggressive and overtly partisan statement of British territorial claims. The title of the map describes the British position as a “Rightful claim as confirm’d by Charters,” and refers to the “Encroachment of the French, with the several Forts they have unjustly erected” [emphasis added]. Inscriptions and coloured lines define exaggerated British claims which are, in fact, “encroachments” on New France!

The Society or Order of Anti-Gallicans was established in 1751 in response to the renewed hostilities with France. Its voice was directed largely at the import of French goods. The Order also fitted at least one privateer sent out to harass the French. Along with this map they also published patriotic prints, a novel and songs. This example of the map is the rare first edition before the addition of annotations. The last example of the map to appear at auction was the Siebert copy in 1999 which was the more common second state of the map. The only example of the first state located is the damaged example in the Slaughter Collection, New York Public Library. Cumming Col. Am. pp. 60 & 95; Kershaw 348; McCorkle 755.38; Pedley ‘Schilder Amicorum’ p. 449-58; Phillips, p. 575; Sellers & Van Ee 62; Siebert sale 270; Streeter sale 822; Treasures of the National Map Collection 21.