Early and highly important map of Florida and the Southeast. A significant acquisition for collectors of both Florida and the United States.

This early and important map was part of the "Beschrijivinghe van West-Indien", a compilation of new information relating to the New World first published in 1625 and then in 1630 but with additional maps of North America. Its influence was vast, inspiring and providing a source for most of the great names of the Dutch Golden Age of Cartography. They ensured that the information provided by these maps endured through most of the 17th century. 

The work was compiled by Johannes de Laet, a very wealthy merchant and one of the directors of the Dutch West India Company who held the monopoly on commerce in the West India Islands and Africa. This included the vastly lucrative sugar trade. 

This specific map is mostly based on three major sources: Cornelis Claesz's 1602 interpretation of Le Moyne's map first published in 1591 by de Bry, Ortelius' map of Florida and the Mercator Hondius map of the southeast published in 1606. Despite the use of these source which are several decades old, there has been some innovation, particularly the first use of the name "Tegesta" for the modern Florida Peninsula, which is a reference to the name of a Native American tribe prominent in the area. 

Although de Laet wrote, compiled and edited the text, the maps were drawn and engraved by Hessel Gerritz, the official cartographer to the Dutch East India Company. Gerritz personally joined a voyage to the New World in 1628 and added his own notes and sketches to the production of these maps.  [USA9863]