Old Map of Dominica

This map was produced in the aftermath of the French capture of Dominica on 7 September 1778, during the American War of Independence. Its main map shows the whole island, while the lower-left inset focuses on the military operation around Roseau, where French troops landed and attacked the British batteries and fortifications.

Map Details

Original title: Carte de la Dominique prise par les François le 7 septembre 1778 Cartographer: Philippe Buache, geographer to the King Publication place and date: Paris, 1778 Dedicated to: M. de Sartine, French Minister and Secretary of State for the Navy and Colonies Area shown: The island of Dominica and surrounding Caribbean islands Map type: Hand-coloured historical and military map Features shown: Parish boundaries, mountain relief, rivers, bays, roads, settlements and an inset plan of the French landing and attack on Roseau’s forts

The map’s shaded mountain ranges emphasise Dominica’s rugged interior. Rivers are traced from the central highlands towards the coast, while bays, points and settlements are identified around the island’s irregular shoreline. Roseau appears on the west coast, with Portsmouth and Prince Rupert’s Bay marked in the north. The map also names Soufrière Bay, Marigot, Layou, Soufrière and numerous smaller coastal features.

The inset plan gives the map its particular historical interest. It shows the approaches to Roseau, the landing places, the town and the defensive works that protected the British settlement. The accompanying notes identify batteries, roads, ravines and positions used during the attack, turning the sheet into both a geographical map and a record of military movement.

France had ceded Dominica to Britain after the Seven Years’ War, but the island remained strategically important because of its position between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. When France entered the American War of Independence against Britain, the French governor of the West Indies acted quickly to retake Dominica. The British garrison capitulated after the French seized the surrounding high ground and batteries.

The map records this event from the French perspective, including its dedication to Antoine de Sartine, the minister responsible for the French navy and colonies. Its language reflects the political and military viewpoint of the period, while the detailed geography reveals the landscape over which the two European powers were competing.

Dominica’s mountainous terrain is central to the image. The dense hachuring across the interior conveys steep ridges and valleys, contrasting with the narrow coastal settlements and cultivated areas. This makes the map visually distinctive as well as historically important.