Moll’s map of Africa

Map · 1710

The record

Explore the full historical map associated with the book’s inquiry into West African place-names. Examine the coast and the labels in their geographical setting.

Herman Moll · Princeton University

What to examine

Discovery trail: Dante Fortson’s BHITB map exhibit. A place-name resemblance is a research question; it does not by itself establish a biblical tribal identity.

Catalog context: Moll, 1710

Princeton dates its colored copperplate map to 1710 and records a size of 56 × 94 cm. Its commentary identifies commercial coastal labels and inset views of English forts. Read the text annotations as part of a European mapmaker’s account, alongside the place-names.

Comparison: locate the coastal name under study, then compare the nearby coastline, coordinates and map annotations. Distinguish the historical spelling from a proposed identity.

Make your own source record

1. Identify the creator, title, edition and date from the source itself.
2. Record the exact page or map sheet. Read the surrounding passage or full geographical setting.
3. Separate the wording visible in the document from the interpretation you draw from it.
4. Keep unresolved readings and conflicting dates in your notes so the comparison can be revisited.

Research trail

Credit for the linked discovery trail remains with its creator. This exhibit organizes the source record and study questions.

Exhibit assembled October 20, 2026. Catalog leads and unresolved edition details are identified above; this page does not supply a new transcription of the linked work.