Luke A Vavra Rare Maps And Books

FIRST PRINTED MAP OF BARBADOS:

ENGLISH COLONIALISM AND SLAVERY

Although occupied by North American and later South American Indians hundreds of years ago, Barbados was uninhabited when European nations began to explore the Americas. Both Spain and Portugal briefly claimed Barbados in late 16th century, but they, too, left the island uninhabited. The first English settlers arrived in 1627 financed by private capital. They soon added a few African slaves, but cultivation of the main crop of tobacco and the lesser crops of cotton, ginger and indigo was handled primarily by indentured Europeans until the start of the sugar cane industry in the 1640s. Profits from tobacco helped finance sugar production.

This map of Barbados appears in the first edition of the 1657 book A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbados written by Richard Ligon. In his book Ligon expresses concern about the growing problem of slavery in the West Indies. Sugar demanded laborers, and Africans were shipped to Barbados in increasingly large numbers. It has been estimated that some 400,000 blacks were imported into the small island of Barbados before the British outlawed slavery in 1833. Ligon’s book is frequently cited as a source for the early history of the island and the cultivation of sugar.

Ligon has placed images of runaway slaves on his map, “A Topographicall (sic) Description and Admeasurement of the Yland of Barbados”, included in the book. Among the other images are camels which at that time were used as beasts of burden. Ligon identified almost 300 plantations by owner’s name along the west and south sides of Barbados. Central Barbados and the east and north sides are more rugged and were unsuited for profitable agriculture.

Why did we wait more than 30 years later to outlaw slavery?

THE BOOK:

The book cited above was written by Richard Ligon while serving time in debtor’s prison in England, after returning there from a three-year stay in Barbados (1647-50).  “Ligon dedicates his book to Dr. Brian Duppa, Lord Bishop of Salisburie, who replies in a lengthy epistle which reached the unfortunate author while in Prison.  Following the two epistles is a long poem by George Walshe addressed to Ligon upon his Relation of his voyage.” (Stevens, p.542).  Ligon’s account combines a travel narrative with detailed natural and social history.  Into this he adds the growing problems of slavery in the West Indies. The account is a frequently cited source for the early history of the island and the cultivation of sugar. (We no longer have the book and its map.)

 THE MAP:“A topographicall Description and Admeasurement of the Yland of Barbados in the West Indyaes With the Mrs. Names of the Severall plantacons”.  Map is 14 ½”h x 20″w. This is the earliest known detailed printed map of Barbados.  It is believed that Richard Ligon drew his map from an original map by John Swan, the island’s leading surveyor of the time.  The map identifies 285 plantations by name of owner; most plantations hug the leeward shore.  Compass rose with North to the upper left. The windward coast (East Coast) and the interior hills and ridges were largely inaccessible at that time. 0n the map are engravings of runaway slaves, galleons, sea monsters, camels (then used as beasts of burden), horses and other animals.

Tales from the Rare Map Cabinet by Luke A Vavra.

Stock Number E6152.

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