The Emergence of Pacific Exploration by Brendan K
Once Europe had conquered the Atlantic Ocean and most of the nearby and surrounding areas of land, a new frontier was being crossed: the Pacific. The bountiful and prosperous lands of the Americas proved economically and politically beneficial to European empires, namely France, Spain, and England. As soon as the territories and colonies were thriving and trade routes across the Atlantic were established, Europe sought to traverse the Pacific Ocean with hopes of discovering new lands to cultivate and develop, along with forming new trade routes and connections to improve their empires. The 1700s saw numerous expeditions across the Pacific to explore the various islands of Asia and Oceania. Navigators were tasked with charting their routes and drawing maps to record and help visualize the layout of the vast Pacific Ocean. While these trips were all different, their purposes were very similar. Economic ambitions, scientific curiosity, and colonialism fueled desires to explore this region. Although the Atlantic Ocean and its trade routes boosted the civilizations of Europe and the Americas, Europeans began to cross the Pacific Ocean and encounter its countless islands, which provided a newer and grander opportunity to further advance their economies and increase their political presence.
Multitudinous maps and drawings were designed that depicted the huge scale of the Pacific Ocean and the newly discovered islands that were in it. One such map is that of Jacques Nicolas Bellin, a French geographer, hydrographer, and cartographer who had lived in the 18th century. Although the map’s earliest versions appeared in 1742 and 1756, it was slightly updated and published a few years later in 1776. It is a reduced map of the seas between the continents of Asia and the Americas. This area was called the South Sea or Pacific Sea by navigators and was created to serve the king of France’s ships as they traversed and explored the territories in the Pacific near Asia and Oceania. It was drawn up for the purpose of accompanying French vessels, by the order of statesman Jean Frederic Phelypeaux, the count of Maurepas, which is a commune in north-central France. The captains of various French ships used this map to help plan trips to different Pacific islands with efforts to establish new colonies and gather valuable resources. Trading was another common, important factor in why these ships examined this map and others like it. This was one of the earlier maps to depict the Pacific and its contents, as the shapes and outlines of countries are imprecise, while the more familiar Americas are drawn with precision, due to the extensive knowledge of those lands already. Bellin chose to not include any land borders on the present day country of the United States, which is interesting considering the tumultuous events going on in America during the mid to late 1700s. America was divided amongst a few countries at this time, including France, Spain, and England, so not including boundaries here is a little unconventional. However, this map’s focus isn’t on the borders of America, but rather on the Pacific Ocean, its contents, and their relations to America and other countries. Another indication of this map’s old age and how Bellin was one of the earliest people to map the Pacific, is that the islands of Hawaii are missing. This is because they weren’t discovered until 1778, two years after the updated version was finalized. However, Easter Island, which was discovered in 1722, is also absent from the map. Additionally, the location of some western islands are inexact, such as the Solomon Islands bearing the incorrect longitude coordinates. Even though this map has some discrepancies, it helps readers understand a new stage in European and American history.
The Pacific was a new frontier that Europe and America were beginning to discover, along with realizing the advantageous possibilities that came with it, although America would focus on their revolutionary war first and then advance westward. These countries sought to uncover new trade routes for commerce and inaugurate maritime connections with the East Indies, as these countries produced numerous, valuable goods that would bolster their economy. Existing routes that crossed the continent of Asia gave Europe some access to the highly lucrative and desirable spice, silk, and tea trade, but were often dangerous and controlled by monopolies, so new methods of reaching Asia needed to be established. This map showcases some European countries that explored the Pacific, as some of the islands are named after existing European places, such as île St Antoine, Nouvelle Hollande, île de Amsterdam, île de Luçon, and Nouvelle Zealand. The fact that these Oceanic islands had names similar to European cities demonstrates how important the Pacific became to them. Soon, “the [Pacific] rim was the locus of dynamism” (Cumings 32). This new, vibrant, oceanic community was becoming the hotspot for trade and travel. The map displays numerous islands in the Pacific that would soon be critical components in the economies of American and European powers. Moreover, political competition was also a driving force behind Pacific exploration among European powers. The ability to colonize more islands, expand territory, and maintain dominance gave explorers the impulse to conquer the Pacific. Getting control over the Pacific islands and strategic trade routes would help countries reach the goal of achieving maritime supremacy. This is another reason why several islands depicted in the map are named after existing cities and countries. The more islands and territories in the Pacific that a European country controlled, the more influence they possessed in the Pacific rim, and the more status they achieved in Europe. Imperialism and colonization are important aspects of the history of the Pacific and European intervention within it. This map demonstrates imperialism through the numerous islands that Europe was extending its power over. These new colonies provided easier access to China, Japan, and other Asian markets, along with more space to create infrastructure, establish military bases, and set up trading posts.
Furthermore, innate feelings of curiosity and a passion for exploration fueled these expeditions. In Joyce Chaplin’s chapter “The Pacific Before Empire” in the book Pacific Histories: Ocean, Land, People, she asserts that Europeans “began to regard the Pacific as a unique platform for science” (Chaplin 55). The map supports another one of the major themes and significance of the Pacific Ocean: exploration. A quest for knowledge was a significant component that drove exploration across the Pacific, due to untold treasures and scientific discoveries that awaited Europeans. They shared a fascination with the natural world and wanted to document the wildlife they encountered as well. Englishman and Captain James Cook was one of these explorers who conducted scientific observations and collected an abundance of items. As a matter of fact, “Cook not only encountered many Pacific cultures for the first time, but also assembled the first large-scale collections of Pacific objects to be brought back to Europe” (Kjellgren). These vast collections and findings helped Europe and America develop a better understanding of the world around them, and this was made possible by connecting the two great seas.
In conclusion, this old and insightful map from Jacques Nicolas Bellin helps us understand the ideas and importance of the Pacific Ocean in regards to both European and American exploration, imperialism, and trade. It portrays the islands of Asia and Oceania as gateways into a completely new world which is full of resources and opportunities. The desire to traverse such a vast and unfamiliar territory was driven by a myriad of factors including scientific, economic, and political motives. The numerous outcomes of conquering the Pacific are now cemented in the legacies of European countries and America, as they helped their societies flourish, and the connections they made continue to shape their culture and economy.
