[Map of Santo Domingo, 1725] Carte de l’Isle de Saint Domingue dressée en 1722

This rare first edition of the map of the island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) by the renowned French cartographer Guillaume Delisle offers a detailed vision of the geography and the historical context of the island in the early 18th century. Published in 1725, this map is based largely on the work of Amédée Frézier, whose expedition to the island in 1719 provided crucial cartographic information. Frézier, an engineer and explorer sent to Hispaniola by the French, meticulously traced the rugged coast of the island, designed plans of the city of Saint-Louis and several forts, and made detailed surveys of key maritime routes such as the Crooked Passage. Frézier’s map was published in 1722, which explains the date of 1722 present in the cartouche.

Delisle, charged with refining and updating the original map of Frézier, offers a representation of the island, combining the geographical features with the human and economic activity that defined the colony. The map includes precise representations of bays, mountains, islets, forests and lagoons, as well as the plantations. Delisle’s attention to both the natural landscape and the colonial infrastructure reflects the prosperous French colony of Saint-Domingue, a major producer of sugar and one of the richest territories of the French empire at that time.

Historical Significance
Hispaniola in the 17th and 18th centuries was a centre of colonial conflict and economic dominion. The island was divided between the Spanish and French colonial powers, with the western half (Haiti) under French control and the eastern part under Spanish rule. Delisle’s map offers a critical view of this dynamic, highlighting the French settlements, the plantations and the fortifications during a period of significant growth and exploitation of enslaved Africans in the sugar industry. It captures the dominion of the French Empire over the western part of the island, showing the urban and military infrastructure built to support the colonial economy.

Guillaume Delisle (1675-1726)
Guillaume Delisle was one of the most notable cartographers of his time and a central figure in the evolution of scientific cartography. A member of a family of cartographers, Delisle studied astronomy, mathematics and geography, developing a new method for creating maps based on scientific principles and precise observational data. His work, which incorporated the latest findings of the French explorers, revolutionised the field of cartography and provided the most precise maps of his time. Delisle’s contributions to the cartography of the New World were significant, and his maps were widely used both by European governments and by explorers.

This particular map was reissued regularly until 1780 and influenced later cartographers in Europe. It is a valuable historical artefact that not only offers a geographical snapshot of Hispaniola, but also insight into the colonial history of the island.