Top of page

Map Map of Fort Pontchartrain in Canada, on the Strait of Lake Erie. Plan du Fort Pontchartrain en Canada situé sur le bord du détroit Erié

About this Item

Title

  • Map of Fort Pontchartrain in Canada, on the Strait of Lake Erie.

Other Title

  • Plan du Fort Pontchartrain en Canada situé sur le bord du détroit Erié

Summary

  • Fort Pontchartrain, located at the straits of Lake Erie and Lake Saint-Clair in what is today the city of Detroit, Michigan, was established in 1701 by Antoine Laumet de Lamothe Cadillac, a French military officer. It was named in honor of France's navy minister, the Comte de Pontchartrain. Lamothe Cadillac was something of a visionary megalomaniac who hoped to make the post "the Paris of New France." The interior of the fort was arranged according to a grid plan, similar to a small town. During the 18th century, Detroit (which literally means "the strait") became the main French settlement in the Great Lakes region. In 1765 the population of the settlement included some 2,600 Indians and 800 persons of European origin, spread out over 15 kilometers on both sides of the Detroit River. Letters are used to indicate: the chapel (A); the house of the commandant (B); and the guardhouse (C). The scale of the map is in toises, a measurement used in prerevolutionary France and New France. One toise equaled a bit less than two meters.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1732.

Headings

  • -  United States of America--Michigan--Detroit
  • -  1732
  • -  Designs and plans
  • -  Forts and fortifications
  • -  France in America
  • -  France--Colonies
  • -  New France

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1 drawing : pen, ink wash, and watercolor ; 41 x 53.3 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: National Library of France.
  • -  Content in French.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021668650

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Map of Fort Pontchartrain in Canada, on the Strait of Lake Erie. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, 1732] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668650/.

APA citation style:

(1732) Map of Fort Pontchartrain in Canada, on the Strait of Lake Erie. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668650/.

MLA citation style:

Map of Fort Pontchartrain in Canada, on the Strait of Lake Erie. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, 1732] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021668650/>.