California Was Drawn as an Island on Maps for Hundreds of Years

Atlas Obscura shows a series of ancient maps from around the world that portray California as an entirely separate island from North America. 

The history of early cartography is a fascinating look at human curiosity, exploration, and sometimes, imaginative speculation. Among the most intriguing cartographic errors of the past is the depiction of California as an island on numerous maps from the 17th and early 18th centuries.

This enduring misconception reflects not only the limited geographical knowledge of the time but also the influence of hearsay and the rush to document newly discovered lands.

The origin of the insular, island-bound California myth can be traced back to early Spanish explorers. When the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés sent expeditions to the Baja California Peninsula in the early 1530s, the narrowness of the peninsula led to the mistaken belief that it was an island.

This error was compounded by the accounts of explorers and the mixing of factual observation with the myths and legends prevalent among seafarers and conquerors.

The first maps to depict California as an island emerged in the early 17th century. These maps were based on the explorations and reports of Spanish navigators, as well as on the wishful thinking that there existed a direct route from the Atlantic to the Pacific, which would have made for a lucrative shortcut for the spice trade with Asia.

This belief in an insular California was widely disseminated through the work of influential cartographers like Johannes Vingboons, John Speed, and Herman Moll, among others.

One of the most significant findings to us are the maps from all corners of the world, which showed California separated from the rest of North America. See this Japanese map from the 1800s below.

Even in this struck silver coin from 1628 Spain shows California separate from the rest of the landmass.

Whether you’re into history or cartography or neither, these ancient maps show us how our knowledge of Earth and the way it was depicted has shifted over time.