Mapping Texas and the Gulf Coast: The Contributions of Saint-Denis, Oliván, and Le Maire

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This careful study of eighteenth-century cartography along the Gulf Coast reveals a fascinating mix of cooperation and competition between Spain and France. Louis Juchereau de Saint-Denis explored much of the region around the Gulf and sent data to his homeland of France, but he also shared information with Spanish officials. Juan Manuel de Oliván Rebolledo used this information to create several maps, one of which was drawn to demonstrate how Spain might protect itself from the French threat in Louisiana and Canada. Information from the Oliván/Saint-Denis maps soon emerged on French maps. Guillaume Delisle's 1718 "mother map" of the Gulf Coast was made possible by Francois Le Maire, a virtually unknown French missionary in Mobile. Jack Jackson and Winston De Ville examine Le Maire's various memoirs and maps, which relied on Saint-Denis for their portrayal of the "Western Country." Le Maire's work explains how Delisle acquired the information to draw his profoundly influential map. This important book for cartographers will also be of interest to the lay historian and the Gulf Coast enthusiast.