AmericaAmerica& & the Story of Amerigo Vespuccithe Story of Amerigo Vespucci

Created by Robert MartinezPrimary Content by Joy Hakim, A History of US, The First AmericansImages as cited.

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Christopher Columbus did all the Christopher Columbus did all the discovering, yet it was Amerigo discovering, yet it was Amerigo

whose name got put on the land. whose name got put on the land. History isn’t always fair.History isn’t always fair.

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Now Amerigo was an adventurer Now Amerigo was an adventurer just like Columbus. He made several just like Columbus. He made several

trips across the ocean and went trips across the ocean and went way down the coast of South way down the coast of South

America.America.

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But what made him famous was But what made him famous was that he wrote about his trips. His that he wrote about his trips. His letters were so fascinating that letters were so fascinating that everyone wanted to read them. everyone wanted to read them.

And, thanks to Gutenberg’s printing And, thanks to Gutenberg’s printing press, many people did.press, many people did.

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►Amerigo Vespucci did something Amerigo Vespucci did something else that was important. He else that was important. He understood that there was a huge understood that there was a huge continent over here, a continent continent over here, a continent new to Europeans, and he said so in new to Europeans, and he said so in his writings. He called it a “New his writings. He called it a “New World.” Remember, Columbus World.” Remember, Columbus thought he had discovered a thought he had discovered a shortcut to India.shortcut to India.

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Vespucci was a practical Vespucci was a practical businessman whose hobbies were businessman whose hobbies were mathematics, sailing, and reading. mathematics, sailing, and reading.

While Columbus was dreaming of his While Columbus was dreaming of his shortcut to China, Vespucci looked at shortcut to China, Vespucci looked at

the land of South America with an the land of South America with an open mind.open mind.

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““In those southern parts,” he In those southern parts,” he wrote, “I have found a continent wrote, “I have found a continent

more densely peopled and more densely peopled and abounding in animals than our abounding in animals than our

Europe or Asia or Africa.” He could Europe or Asia or Africa.” He could see that it was a vast continent and see that it was a vast continent and

that it wasn’t China.that it wasn’t China.

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A man named Martin Waldseemuller A man named Martin Waldseemuller actually named America. He was a actually named America. He was a

printer and mapmaker who was printer and mapmaker who was fascinated by Vespucious’s letters.fascinated by Vespucious’s letters.

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►He said, “Americus Vespucius has He said, “Americus Vespucius has first related without exaggeration first related without exaggeration of a people living toward the south, of a people living toward the south, almost under the antarctic pole…..”almost under the antarctic pole…..”

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►“…“…[They] go around entirely naked, [They] go around entirely naked, and not only offer to their king the and not only offer to their king the heads of their enemies who they heads of their enemies who they

have killed, but also feed eagerly on have killed, but also feed eagerly on the flesh of the conquered foes.”the flesh of the conquered foes.”

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You can see why these reading were You can see why these reading were so interesting to people at the time. so interesting to people at the time.

In 1507 Waldseemuller printed a In 1507 Waldseemuller printed a huge world map, and on it he put a huge world map, and on it he put a

new continent.new continent.

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Waldseemuller used information Waldseemuller used information from the voyages of Columbus and from the voyages of Columbus and

Vespucci to make the map. He Vespucci to make the map. He decided to put the name America on decided to put the name America on

the southern continent, since the southern continent, since Amerigo had written about it.Amerigo had written about it.

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His map was the most up-to-date His map was the most up-to-date and reliable one around. Many and reliable one around. Many people bought it. Six years later people bought it. Six years later Waldseemuller made a new map. Waldseemuller made a new map. This time he didn’t think it was such This time he didn’t think it was such a good idea to call the new land a good idea to call the new land America….He left the name off….America….He left the name off….

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… …..but it was too late. People were but it was too late. People were already using it, and it stuck. already using it, and it stuck.

Amazing, isn’t it, how fickle history Amazing, isn’t it, how fickle history can be?can be?

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