1758 Bellin Map of the Lesser Antilles

This is a 1758 Jacques-Nicolas Bellin nautical chart or map of the Lesser Antilles. Published two years into the Seven Years' War (1756 - 1763), this map highlights the rich sugar-producing French, British, and Dutch colonies in the Antilles - all up for grabs in the conflict.

A Closer Look

The map depicts the Lesser Antilles from the Virgin Islands south to Tobago. Coves, points, bays, harbors, and safe anchorages are identified on every major island. An inset in the upper left contains two coastal views of Sint Eustatius (labeled here as St. Eustache). In the bottom left, an inset focuses on the Virgin Islands and identifies key islands, including St. Croix and St. Thomas. The navigation channels through the islands are illustrated as well.

Seven Years' War in the Caribbean

The Seven Years' War (1756 - 1763) was a global conflict (some even call it the first World War) that involved most European powers and their far-flung colonial empires. Beginning in 1756, fighting was initially confined to Europe until 1759, when the British attacked Martinique and Guadeloupe, successfully capturing the latter. After Guadeloupe surrendered, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, Petite Terre, and Les Saintes (all nearby islands) also surrendered to the British. The British then captured Dominica in 1761 and Martinique, Grenada, and Saint Lucia in 1762. The British even successfully captured Havana, the pearl of the Spanish Greater Antilles, 1762. Although broadly successful, these naval campaigns took an egregious toll. While combat causalities were minimal, over 5,000 British soldiers died of disease in Cuba alone. Despite the human cost, the British achieved their goal: territory in the Caribbean that could be used as bargaining chips at the negotiating table.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin and published by the French Dépôt des Cartes et Plans de la Marine in 1758. We note 7 cataloged examples in OCLC which are part of the collections at Harvard University, the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, the Universitätsbibliothek Bern, the University of Michigan, the Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire - Lausanne, the Biblioteca Nacional de España, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.