1740 map of the Isthmus of Panama. Included on the map is the abandoned Scottish colony of New Caledonia on the north-west coast of the Gulf of Darien
1740 map of the Isthmus of Panama. Included on the map is the abandoned Scottish colony of New Caledonia on the north-west coast of the Gulf of Darien. The Scottish colonists made landfall in November 1968 hoping to make Scotland a major broker of trade across the Pacific Ocean. The two expeditions were entirely unprepared for the inhospitable landscape and many colonists died of disease or lack of food. The colony was finally abandoned in March 1700 after a month-long siege by Spanish forces who claimed control of the area. The venture was backed by money from the Scottish people, rich and poor alike. The failure lead to the ruin of Scotland, which in 1707 conceded to the Acts of Union, joining Scotland and England. Map from Cartes et plans de l'Amerique by Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1745).
Size: 5409px × 3585px
Photo credit: © LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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