A detailed map of Dominica during the American War of Independence

BUACHE, Philippe.

Carte de la Dominique Prise par les François Le 7 Septembre 1778, Avec le Plan du Debarquement, et de l'Attacque des Forts et Batteries par les Troupes et les Frégates de sa Majesté... 1778.
Paris, 1778. Coloured. 650 x 500mm.

A large map of Dominica recording the French capture of Dominica from the British, regaining possession of the island they had lost in 1761. Insets show the initial targets of the French invasion forces, Cachacrou and Roseau, and the position of Dominica in the Windward Island chain.
Attacking the island before the British garrison was aware that France had joined the American War of Independence, the French encountered little resistance from a drunken garrison at Cachacrou. They then moved to the high ground above Roseau, leaving Lieutenant Governor William Stuart no option but to surrender to the Marquis de Bouillé.
The map is dedicated to Antoine de Sartine (1729-1801), Secretary of State for the French Navy. His expenditure on new ships in the lead-up to the war brought France successes like this but he spent far more than he was allocated by the Finance Minister, Jacques Necker. This extravagence not only resulted in him being replaced only two years later but was one of the causes of the French Revolution of 1789.


Stock ID : 22487