Carte de l’ Isle de la Martinique

Title

Carte de l’ Isle de la Martinique

Description

map of Martinique, after N. Bellin.

dated 1762

Artist

Homann Erben (1724-1780)

Johann Babtiste Homann (1664-1724) was born in Oberkammlach, the Electorate of Bavaria. Although educated at a Jesuit school, and preparing for an ecclesiastical career, he eventually converted to Protestantism and from 1687 worked as a civil law notary in Nuremberg. He soon turned to engraving and cartography; in 1702 he founded his own publishing house. Homann acquired renown as a leading German cartographer, and in 1715 was appointed Imperial Geographer by Emperor Charles VI. Giving such privileges to individuals was an added right that the Holy Roman Emperor enjoyed. In the same year he was also named a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin. Of particular significance to cartography were the imperial printing privileges (Latin: privilegia impressoria). These protected for a time the authors in all scientific fields such as printers, copper engravers, map makers and publishers. They were also very important as a recommendation for potential customers. In 1716 Homann published his masterpiece Grosser Atlas ueber die ganze Welt (Grand Atlas of all the World). Numerous maps were drawn up in cooperation with the engraver Christoph Weigel the Elder, who also published Siebmachers Wappenbuch. Homann died in Nuremberg. He was succeeded by the Homann heirs company, which was in business until 1848. The company was known as Homann Erben, Homanniani Heredes, or Heritiers de Homann abroad.

Historical Description

The island was colonized by France in 1635 by Pierre Belain d’Esnambuc on behalf of the Compagnie des îles d'Amérique founded by Richelieu and has remained in French possession until then, except for three short periods of foreign occupation. With the foundation of the French East India Company by Jean-Baptiste Colbert in 1664, Martinique became the property of the French crown. During the Second Anglo-Dutch War, France was allied with the Netherlands - an English fleet repeatedly attacked French settlements on Martinique and defeated a French squadron at Saint-Pierre on July 6th. In the Third Anglo-Dutch War, in which France was now fighting England against the Netherlands, Martinique was attacked on July 16, 1674 by the fleet of the Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter. Thanks to the patronage of Madame de Pompadour, the economist and physiocrat Pierre-Paul Le Mercier de La Rivière was appointed director or governor of Martinique, during the period from 1759 to 1764 he had great economic success there. From 1762 to 1763 Martinique was occupied by the British. In 1763, Joséphine, born de Tascher de la Pagerie, who later became Napoleon's wife, was born in Trois-Îlets near Fort-de-France in Martinique. Her parents ran a sugar cane plantation there, which can still be visited as a museum. From 1787 to 1802 a civil war broke out due to conflicts between plantation owners and traders, there was a slave uprising. In 1794, in the spirit of the French Revolution, the French convention voted for the abolition of slavery. This decision did not last long, however, because Napoleon reintroduced slavery in 1802. On May 22, 1848, slavery was finally abolished. Victor Schoelcher played an important role in this. From then on, Indians and Chinese were employed there due to a shortage of workers on the plantations.