A Comprehensive Guide to John Ogilby's America: The Most Accurate Description of the New World in the 17th Century

John Ogilby's America: A Remarkable Description of the New World

Have you ever wondered how people in the 17th century imagined and learned about America? One of the most influential books that shaped their views was America: Being an Accurate Description of The New World, published by John Ogilby in 1671. This book was a monumental work that compiled and translated various sources on America, covering its history, geography, culture, and nature. It was also lavishly illustrated with maps, engravings, and drawings that captured the attention and curiosity of its readers. In this article, we will explore who John Ogilby was, what his book was about, how he created it, and why it was so important.

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Introduction

John Ogilby (1600-1676) was a Scottish-born writer, translator, publisher, geographer, cosmographer, poet laureate, master of revels (a royal official who supervised public entertainment), lottery promoter, theatre owner, and dancing master. He had a remarkable and varied career that spanned several fields and countries. He was also a survivor of many misfortunes, such as being captured by pirates, losing his fortune in a shipwreck, being crippled by a carriage accident, and having his house and printing shop burned down in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Ogilby's most lasting achievement was his series of atlases and geographical works, which he began to produce after the Great Fire. He employed a team of skilled engravers, cartographers, and artists to create accurate and beautiful maps and illustrations. He also translated and edited various texts from different languages and sources to provide comprehensive and reliable information. His first atlas was Africa, published in 1670, followed by America in 1671, Asia in 1673, and Atlas Chinensis in 1671. He also published Britannia, a road atlas of England and Wales, in 1675.

The main source and inspiration for America was a Dutch book by Arnoldus Montanus (1625?-1683), titled De Nieuwe en Onbekende Weereld: of Beschryving van America en't Zuid-Land (The New and Unknown World: or Description of America and the South Land), published in Amsterdam in 1671. Montanus was a theologian, historian, and geographer who wrote several books on various regions of the world. His book on America was based on the accounts of earlier explorers, travelers, missionaries, historians, and naturalists, such as Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Bartolomé de las Casas, José de Acosta, Thomas Gage, Hans Staden, Walter Raleigh, Samuel Purchas, John Smith, William Dampier, and many others.

Ogilby translated Montanus's book into English and edited it extensively. He added new text material, especially on British America, and three new maps (on Maryland, Jamaica, and Barbados). He also modified the engraved title page to become the frontispiece, and re-engraved the general map of America. He obtained the leaves of plates and the small copper plates for the text illustrations from Jacob van Meurs, the Dutch publisher and engraver who worked with Montanus. Ogilby's America was thus a hybrid work that combined elements from both Montanus's original and Ogilby's additions.

The scope and content of America was vast and comprehensive. It contained 12 books or chapters that covered various aspects of America. The first book dealt with the original of the inhabitants; the second book with the remarkable voyages thither; the third book with the conquest of Mexico; the fourth book with the conquest of Peru; the fifth book with New Spain; the sixth book with New Granada; the seventh book with Guiana; the eighth book with Brazil; the ninth book with Chile; the tenth book with Paraguay; the eleventh book with Florida; and the twelfth book with Virginia. Each book had several sections that described the cities, fortresses, towns, temples, mountains, rivers, habits, customs, manners, religions, plants, beasts, birds, and serpents of each region.

The significance and impact of America was immense and lasting. It was one of the most popular and widely read books on America in the 17th century. It was reprinted several times in English and translated into other languages such as French and German. It influenced many other writers and publishers who copied or adapted its text and images. It also shaped the perceptions and imaginations of its readers who learned about America through its pages. It provided them with a rich and vivid picture of the New World that was both factual and fanciful.

The Original of the Inhabitants

Ogilby's America began with a discussion on the origin and nature of the native Americans. He followed Montanus's view that they were descended from Noah's son Japheth who migrated to America after the confusion of languages at Babel. He also suggested that some of them might have come from Asia by crossing a land bridge or from Africa by sailing across the Atlantic. He rejected the idea that they were autochthonous or sprung from the earth.

Ogilby depicted the native Americans as diverse and complex people who had different physical features, languages, cultures, and religions. He described their skin color as ranging from white to black, their hair as straight or curly, their stature as tall or short, their clothing as simple or elaborate, their ornaments as plain or colorful, and their weapons as primitive or advanced. He also noted their diversity in language, having counted more than 200 different tongues in America.

Ogilby compared the native Americans with other peoples and regions that he was familiar with. He sometimes praised them for their virtues and skills, such as their courage, generosity, hospitality, eloquence, agility, and artistry. He also sometimes criticized them for their vices and defects, such as their cruelty, treachery, superstition, ignorance, idleness, and cannibalism. He often drew parallels and contrasts between the native Americans and the ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Persians, Jews, Christians, Turks, Chinese, Japanese, and others.

Ogilby addressed the issues of slavery and colonization that affected the native Americans. He acknowledged the injustices and atrocities that they suffered at the hands of the Europeans, especially the Spanish. He also defended their rights and dignity as human beings and rational creatures. However, he also justified the enslavement and conversion of some of them as a means of civilizing and saving them from their barbarism and paganism. He also supported the establishment of European plantations in America as a way of improving and enriching the land.

The Remarkable Voyages Thither

Ogilby's America continued with a chronicle of the explorations and discoveries of America by various European nations. He followed Montanus's order and division of the voyages into four parts: the first part covered the voyages of the Spanish; the second part covered the voyages of the Portuguese; the third part covered the voyages of the French; and the fourth part covered the voyages of the English, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, and others.

Ogilby highlighted the achievements and challenges of the voyagers who ventured into the unknown seas and lands. He described their motives and goals, such as seeking new trade routes, finding gold and silver, spreading Christianity, or escaping persecution. He also recounted their adventures and hardships, such as encountering storms, shipwrecks, pirates, diseases, hunger, thirst, mutinies, or hostile natives. He also celebrated their successes and discoveries, such as reaching new coasts, islands, rivers, mountains, or cities.

Ogilby illustrated the maps and scenes of the voyages with great detail and accuracy. He used the plates and illustrations that he obtained from van Meurs, who had based them on earlier sources or original drawings by Montanus or other artists. He also added three new maps that he commissioned or re-engraved himself: one on Maryland, one on Jamaica, and one on Barbados. These maps showed the geographical features, political divisions, and economic activities of these regions. 71b2f0854b