A Highly Censored Spanish Map of North America
This fine example of Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas' 1601 map of the Southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean forms part of his Descripcion de las Indias Occidentales, first issued as part of Historia General in Madrid in 1601.
As the royal historian to both Philip II and Philip III of Spain, Herrera produced this map to accompany his monumental work on the history of Spain’s overseas territories. The map is derived from manuscript charts created by Juan López de Velasco, the first official cosmographer of the Spanish Crown, between 1575 and 1580, which were regarded as highly sensitive documents. Of the original charts, only four copies are known to have survived. This particular map represents one of the earliest obtainable Spanish depictions of North America, with much of the interior intentionally left blank, reflecting Spain’s policy of secrecy regarding its New World discoveries.
Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas' Descripcion de las Yndias del Norte offers a significant yet understated view of Spanish colonial geography. The map encompasses regions of critical importance to Spain, including the Southern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean islands (such as Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico), and parts of Central America. Herrera's work is based on Juan López de Velasco’s manuscript maps, which were compiled during his tenure as cosmographer to the Spanish Crown, an office he held from 1571 to 1591. Velasco's maps, created during the reign of Philip II, were intended to guide imperial administrators and navigators in controlling Spain’s vast overseas empire. Herrera's map’s absence of detailed geographic information in the interior reflects the Spanish Crown’s well-established policy of maintaining strict control over its colonial maps, fearing that precise details could fall into the hands of rival European powers, such as England, France, and the Netherlands.
The Spanish cartographic strategy was driven by political and military concerns. Following Christopher Columbus’ voyages in the late 15th century, Spain aggressively expanded its territorial claims in the Americas, acquiring vast regions and establishing a sprawling colonial empire. The Casa de la Contratación (House of Trade) in Seville played a central role in producing navigation charts and collecting geographic information from explorers and colonial officials. Figures like Juan López de Velasco, who served as the chief cosmographer and chronicler, were instrumental in creating maps that depicted the empire’s most crucial territories.
The map highlights several key regions of interest to the Spanish Crown, including the Yucatán Peninsula, Florida, and parts of South America, such as Venezuela. In addition, the map identifies four principal cities that served as administrative centers in the Spanish Americas: Guatemala, Nueva España (Mexico City), Nueva Galicia (in western Mexico), and Española (Santo Domingo). The presence of these cities underscores the map's focus on Spain’s colonial power centers, while the absence of detailed interior cartography reflects the broader imperial policy of secrecy. Dashed lines give a general overview of administrative divisions.
By 1601, the dissemination of accurate cartographic information about the Americas was highly restricted, and this map exemplifies Spain’s deliberate effort to obscure certain geographic realities. Herrera’s map, while outwardly simplistic, played a key role in Spain’s broader imperial strategy, ensuring that geographic knowledge remained the prerogative of the Crown and its appointed officials. The map also reflects the broader European struggle for control over the Americas, as nations vied for dominance in trade, exploration, and colonization.
Herrera’s map, with its minimalist portrayal of the Caribbean and the Americas, thus represents both a historical document of Spain’s early colonial expansion and a testament to the geopolitical struggles that defined the 16th and 17th centuries. Its importance lies not only in its geographic content but also in what it intentionally conceals—making it a valuable artifact of Spanish imperial history.