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Description

A Dire Warning Against French Threats To The British Colonies At The Height of John Law's French Mississippi Company Scheme

An extremely rare map of British North America, published by Abel Boyer in London and engraved by James Hulett in 1720 for Boyer's The Political State of Great Britain (Volume 19).

Fascinating early map of North America, issued by Abel Boyer in support of his lengthy essay warning the British against the risks posed by the French at the height of French expansion into Louisiana as part of John Law's Mississippi Company scheme.  Boyer's essay recounts the details of a rare and important early American Pamphlet addressing English and French colonial relations in 1720. This is only a few early maps to reference "the English Plantations" in North America and perhaps the rarest. We locate only the maps of Moll (circa 1695), Wells (1700) and Lawson (1718). 

The map is meticulously compiled from Guillaume De L'Isle's Carte Du Mexique et de la Floride and Carte Du Canada ou de la Nouvelle France.  The map illustrates the publication of a long article in April 1720, captioned "Considerations on the French Settling on the Mississipi." (a shortened version of the pamphlet which had recently been published) and begins with the following passage:

The was published here some Time ago, a very remarkable Pamphlet, entitled, Some Considerations on the Consequences of the French Settling Colonies on the Mississipi, with Respect to the Trade and Safety of the English Plantations in America and the West-Indies:  From a Gentleman of America to his Friend of London.   The Author . . . tells us, 'That the sudden and surprizing Turn the Affairs of France have lately taken in relation to their Trade, under the Direction of Mr. Law, is justly looked upon as one of the most prodigious Events any Age has produced; and is scarce to be parallel'd in History.  That it has been the general Topick of Conversation in most Countries in Europe . .  . That in the mean Time, it is scarce credible that a Nation, broken by a long and unsuccessful War, plunged in immense Debts ,groaning under intolerable Imposts, and reduced to the utmost Degree of Misery, should at once start up in so flourishing a Condition, as to be able to clear off all the Debts of their King, settle their Commerce . . . and become at once the Envy and Admiration of ad their Neighbours. That the Mississipi Company has at present in Cash and Credit above One Hundred  Millions Sterling.  Paris, like the Temple of Fortune among the Heathens, is resorted to innumerable Crowds of every Nation, Quality and Condition, and the dirty Kennel of Quinquem-poix has for some Time been more frequented than the Royal-Exchange of London. That tho' all this at first View seems incredible, yet if we would give our selves the Trouble to reflect seriously on all the happy Circumstances which concurred to favour Mr. Law's Projects, our Wonder will in some measure be abated.

Following a short dissertation on recent French economic history, the author gets to the heart of the matter:

Whatever Motives may have prevailed with those to sit silent and unactive, whose more particular Business it seems to be to examine this Affair, and ward against the impending Danger; or how plausible soever the Preences of the French may see, to People unaquainted with their Practices in America, and the Situation and Extent of their new Empire Louisiana, I think my self oblig'd to acxqaint my Countrymen, that if these New Settlements are permitted to be carried on, the English Trade in great Measure be ruined on the Continent of America; and all our Colonies, unless much better regulated and secured than they are at present, may one Time or another, be entirely taken from us. . . .

Later, the present map is referenced in connection with the author's concern regarding French expansion in North America:

. . . if the French be allow'd to possess themselves of the Country . . . and a War should afterwards happen to break out between the Two Crowns . . . they will find it a matter of no great Difficults, with the Assistance of the Indians, to invade . . . all the English Plantations at once, and Drive the Inhabitants into the Sea . . . You will easily perceive, by casting an Eye upon the Map, which I have sent you, that the St. Laurence and the Mississipi, with the Lakes and Rivers that run between them, surround by Land all the Provinces on the Main of America, belonging to the Crown of Great-Britain, and that from the Branches of these Great Rivers, and some falling into Lakes Champlain and Errie, a safte and direct Pasage may be found  . . .  Through some of these Channel the Frnch have alrady made many Descents from Canada upon our Northern Colonies, destroy'd our Settlements, and laid entire Provinces to waste, nor could the Inhabitants of New-York . . . have been able to secure themselves frm the dismal Consequences of the like Attempbe, but by the Singular Valour of the Mohacks or Proquois, who gall'd the French so sensibly, that they oblig'd them to retire, within Sixty Leagues of Quebec, and sue for Peace on Any Terms; and that they may easily penetrate the same way into those English Colonies that lie to the Southward, particularly Virginia and CArolina, when once they have planted themselves on the Lakes Frontenac and Errie, and some Rivers that run from the same Side into the Mississipi, is obvious by their own Accounts, and the Discoveries of our Indian Traders, who range over these Parts of the Contient.  Besides, all the Plantations . . . lie naked and open to every Attack by Land  . . . In short, I know of no Protection we haveto rely upon, but that of the Indans . . ..

And finally,

. . . the author of the Considerations  . . . has added . . . a Map of Louisiana, and River Mississipi,: But the same being too Scanty, and in Places extream Faulty, I have caused a new Accurate Map of our American Plantations, and of Louisiana, to be Ingraved by a good Hand, from Two fine Maps of those Countries, lately publish'd in Paris by Mr. de Lisle, a famous Geographer: With which I present my Readers

p.359-403.

The Pamphlet:  Some Considerations on the Consequences of the French Settling Colonies on the Mississipi

The following is excepted from the Beverly Bond's introduction to the 1929 reprinting of the pamphlet:

The pamphlet reprinted here is a very rare one, and one that is of special importance to the student interested in the stiuggles between the English and the French for supremacy in America. Aroused by the apparent success of John Law's schemes, the author has pointed out the grave danger to English commerce, and especially to the colonies in America, if French aggression was not checked. His observations are noteworthy, especially for the comprehensive knowledge they reveal of French exploration and settlement in Canada and the Mississippi Valley, and the keen insight they show into French strategy in these regions and the resulting dangerous situation of the English colonies should war break out again between the two nations. Rather unique is the author's plan to meet this threatening situation in part, by the organization of an English counterpart of John Law's monopoly of colonial commerce, while a proposal for the development of Nova Scotia as an important English outpost, indicates that the author had an intimate knowledge of the problems of the New England border. The Postscript also, and certain allusions in the Letter, gives interesting material on the admiralty courts. Indeed the entire pamphlet, as an exceedingly enlightening revelation of intelligent colonial opinion with respect to the dangers from the French, forms a noteworthy addition to the Bibliography on this subject. This value is increased by the map. which is a rare one, and is especially valuable as an index to the advance by 1720 of geographical knowledge concerning the region of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.

The identity of the author of this interesting pamphlet is uncertain. Justin Winsor, in his Narrative and Critical History (vol. V, pp. 76, 80) implies that the author was Richard Berresford, who went to London in 1714 with Joseph Boone as joint agent representing South Carolina. The map, Winsor claims, was taken from Herman Moll's New Map of the North Points of America claimed by the French under the name of Louisiana, Mississippi, Canada and New France, with the adjoining Territories of England and Spain. In his later book, The Mississippi Basin (pp. 142-143), Winsor has reproduced the map as given in this pamphlet, but has cut out important regions to the north and east. In the same work he definitely assigns the pamphlet to Dr. James Smith (p. 141 note) who was appointed judge of the admiralty court in South Carolina about this time. But internal evidence would discredit either Richard Beresford or James Smith as the author, for the pamphlet shows such intimate acquaintance with the New England border that apparently the only possible theory is that the author was from New England, a conclusion that is confirmed by the extensive acquaintance that is shown with the difficulties of a solicitor in the New England admiralty courts. Very evidently the author was a man of affairs, well read and conversant with colonial conditions in general. From the allusion to the troubles in South Carolina, the Letter must have been written early in the summer of 1718, and the contents and general style would indicate that it was intended for publication.

The Political State of Great Britain

The Political State of Great Britain, being an impartial account of the most material occurrences, ecclesiastical, civil, and military, in a monthly letter to a friend in Holland , was a monthly newspaper, which included abstracts of the chief political pamphlets The Political State is the first periodical, issued at brief intervals, which contained a parliamentary chronicle, and in which parliamentary debates were reported with comparative regularity and with some approximation to accuracy.  According to Boyer's own account, he had been furnished by members of both houses of parliament (among whom he mentioned Lord Stanhope) with reports of their speeches, and he had even succeeded in becoming an occasional 'ear-witness' of the debates themselves. When he was threatened at the beginning of 1729 with arrest by the printers of the votes, whose monopoly they accused him of infringing, he asserted that for thirty years in his History of King William,  had given reports of parliamentary debates without being molested. The threat induced him to discontinue the publication of the debates.  

Rarity

We note no copies of Volume 19 of the Political State appearing at auction or in dealer catalogs in the past 30 years.

Condition Description
Minor discoloration along one fold.