This map, created by English cartographer John Russell in 1803, was published in London during the Napoleonic Wars. The original title of the map is “Map of the English Channel with the coastlines of the United Kingdom and the French Republic.”.

Faced with the threat of a possible French invasion, John Russell published this artistically rendered map of the English Channel. In a persuasive attempt to show the imminent danger, the author identifies a total of 38 locations on the coast of England that had been used during the various invasions of the country between 1066, when William the Conqueror arrived, and 1781, when France attempted to occupy the island of Jersey in the context of the Anglo-French War (1778-1783).

The map also includes several shipping routes between England, Ireland and France, each accompanied by the distance in miles. Furthermore, it places London at the most important point on the map, as the reference lines used on the map originate from the English capital.

Sources

• Chart of the British Channel