This is an early re-issue of the influential map of northeastern North America, first published by Jan Jansson in 1651. While Visscher copied much of Jansson's original map, he did invert several decorative details and added the inset view of New York City.

The original map, which was a careful compilation of earlier maps by Samuel Champlain, Capt. John Smith and William Blaeu, was intended to promote Dutch colonization of New Netherlands. After English occupation of New York in 1674, the map served equally well to attract European settlers to New England.