Maps of New York City - 17th Century

 

New York 17th centuryThe Lenape people, who inhabited Manhattan before European colonization, left no written records. Information about the territory was transmitted through oral tradition.

New York was founded in 1624 as New Amsterdam by Dutch settlers. At that time, cartography or cosmography, as the activity of creating maps was called, was well developed in the Netherlands, although there were still large errors in longitude, which were resolved in the 18th century. The earliest surviving map of the area now known as New York City is the Manatus Map made in 1639 by Joan Vinckeboons, depicting what is now Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey.

The earliest known urban map of New Amsterdam is commonly called the Castello Plan after a Tuscan castle where it was discovered. It is believed it was copied by an unknown draftsman around 1665-1670 from the survey made by Jacques Cortelyou (ca 1625–1693) in the summer of 1660, now lost.

When the English took over New Amsterdam, in 1664, and renamed it New York, surveying and mapmaking continued. The canal (Heere Gracht) was filled in about 1676 and the wooden pier was replaced by a stone pier surrounded by a breakwater: the Great Dock.

 

More maps and panoramic views of NYC:

Maps of NYC - 18th Century

Maps of NYC - 19th Century

Maps of NYC - 20th Century

Bird's Eye Views of New York

Aerial Views of New York

Skylines of New York City

 

 

NYC in the 17th Century

 

Historical map

 

 

 

 

Nieuw Amsterdam

 

Novum Amsterodamum New Amsterdam

 

Niew Neerlandt map

 

Fragment of the Nova Totivs Americæ Descriptio by the Dutch cartographer Frederik de Wit, published in 1660, in Amsterdam. It shows the Dutch territory of New Netherland (Nieu Nederland), the French territory New France (Nova Francia), to the north, and the English territory of Virginia, to the south. In New Netherland we can see both New Amsterdam (Nieu Amsterdam) and Manhattan (Manhattans) indicated.

 

City New York

 

The Strand NYC

 

Bird's Eye View

 

Mannados

 

17th century NY

 

Maps NYC

 

Map New York

 

New Amsterdam

 

Franquelin map New York

 

English Colonies North America

 

City New York 1673

 

New Amsterdam

 

Long Island NY

 

New York Skyline images

 

 

Fort Nieuw Amsterdam Manhatans

 

Castelo Plan

 

 

 

Maps of New York City - 17th Century

 

 

 

Nouvelle York, Chevalier d’Aux

 

Eyland Manatus

 

 

 

Copyright © Geographic Guide - 17th Century - Historical Maps of NYC.

 

Historical maps NY