What is Amerigo Vespucci known for?
Known for. Demonstrating to Europeans that the New World was not Asia but a previously unknown fourth continent. Signature. Amerigo Vespucci ( / vɛˈspuːtʃi /; Italian: [ameˈriːɡo veˈsputtʃi]; 9 March 1451 – 22 February 1512) was an Italian merchant, explorer, and navigator from the Republic of Florence, from whose name the term " America " is ...
Where did Vespucci settle?
By 1492 Vespucci had settled permanently in Seville. His motivations for leaving Florence are unclear; he continued to transact some business on behalf of his Medici patrons but more and more he became involved with Berardi's other activities, most notably his support of Christopher Columbus 's voyages.
How many voyages did Vespucci make?
Between 1497 and 1504, Vespucci participated in at least two voyages of the Age of Discovery, first on behalf of Spain (1499–1500) and then for Portugal (1501–1502). In 1503 and 1505, two booklets were published under his name, containing colourful descriptions of these explorations and other alleged voyages.
Why did Vespucci cite observations from a later voyage?
Certain earlier historians, including contemporary Bartolomé de las Casas, suspected that Vespucci incorporated observations from a later voyage into a fictitious account of this supposed first one, so as to gain primacy over Columbus and position himself as the first European explorer to encounter the mainland.
Where did the Vespucci family live?
The family resided in the District of Santa Lucia d'Ognissanti along with other families of the Vespucci clan. Earlier generations of Vespucci had funded a family chapel in the Ognissanti church, and the nearby Hospital of San Giovanni di Dio was founded by Simone di Piero Vespucci in 1380.
When was Vespucci made a citizen of Spain?
It is unknown whether Vespucci was ever aware of these honours. In 1505 , he was made a citizen of Castile by royal decree and in 1508, he was appointed to the newly created position of piloto mayor (master navigator) for Spain's Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) in Seville, a post he held until his death in 1512.
Why is Vespucci's letter important?
Vespucci's historical importance may rest more with his letters (whether or not he wrote them all) than his discoveries. Burckhardt cites the naming of America after him as an example of the immense role of the Italian literature of the time in determining historical memory. Within a few years of the publication of his two letters, the European public became aware of the newly discovered continents of the Americas. According to Vespucci:
Who Was Amerigo Vespucci?
On May 10, 1497, explorer Amerigo Vespucci embarked on his first voyage. On his third and most successful voyage, he discovered present-day Rio de Janeiro and Rio de la Plata. Believing he had discovered a new continent, he called South America the New World. In 1507, America was named after him. He died of malaria in Seville, Spain, on February 22, 1512.
Where did Vespucci go?
Crossing the equator, they traveled to the coast of what is now Guyana, where it is believed that Vespucci left Ojeda and went on to explore the coast of Brazil.
What was the name of the new world in 1507?
German cartographer Martin Waldseemüler, one of the book's authors, proposed that the newly discovered Brazilian portion of the New World be labeled America, the feminine version of the name Amerigo, after Amerigo Vespucci. The gesture was his means of honoring the person who discovered it, and indeed granted Vespucci the legacy of being America's namesake.
How did Vespucci die?
On February 22, 1512, Vespucci died of malaria in Seville, Spain.
What was the first voyage of the Vespucci?
According to a letter that Vespucci might or might not have truly written, on May 10, 1497, he embarked on his first journey, departing from Cadiz with a fleet of Spanish ships. The controversial letter indicates that the ships sailed through the West Indies and made their way to the mainland of Central America within approximately five weeks. If the letter is authentic, this would mean that Vespucci discovered Venezuela a year before Columbus did. Vespucci and his fleets arrived back in Cadiz in October 1498.
When did Vespucci meet Columbus?
In 1496, after Columbus returned from his voyage to America, Vespucci had the opportunity to meet him in Seville. The conversation piqued Vespucci's interest in seeing the world with his own eyes. By the late 1490s, Vespucci's business was struggling to make a profit anyway.
Where did Gianetto Berardi work?
At first he undertook a variety of business endeavors in Florence. Later, he moved on to a banking business in Seville, Spain, where he formed a partnership with another man from Florence, named Gianetto Berardi. According to some accounts, from 1483 to 1492, Vespucci worked for the Medici family.
What continents did Amerigo Vespucci explore?
Vespucci realized the land he was exploring was a separate continent and not part of Asia, as he and many others believed at the time. The continents of North and South America are named after him. Name: Amerigo Vespucci [uh-mer-i-goh] [ve-spoo-chee] Birth/Death: March 9, 1454 - February 22, 1512. Nationality: Italian.
Where did Vespucci go?
By the end of this journey, he had sailed farther south than previous explorers. Subsequent Voyages. Vespucci returned to Lisbon, Portugal in September 1502.
What island did Vespucci visit?
On the island of Curacao, Vespucci told of natives that appeared to be giants. At one point, Vespucci’s men tried kidnapping some female natives to take back to Spain. But they were unsuccessful because the male natives fought them off.5. The voyage returned to Spain in June of 1500.
Where was Amerigo Vespucci born?
Biography. Early Life. Amerigo Vespucci was born March 9, 1454 in Florence, Italy to Nastagio and Lisabetta Vespucci. His father was a notary in the Florence government. The Vespucci family was well-connected, and Amerigo received an excellent education by his uncle Giorgio Antonio.
What did the rulers send to the island of Hispaniola?
So the rulers sent another team westward. They were sending ships to Hispaniola (present day island of the Dominican Republic and Haiti), and some further south to explore new areas. The king asked Amerigo to go as a pilot on one of the ships going south for exploration.
Where is the statue of Amerigo Vespucci?
Statue of Amerigo Vespucci outside the Uffizi, Florence. (Credit: Jio)
Which two explorers explored the coast of modern day Brazil?
Vespucci cruised south and explored the coast of modern day Brazil. Ojeda and de la Cosa headed west, exploring the coast of modern day Venezuela. Vespucci charted the stars and constellations of the southern hemisphere. He noticed that they were different from the constellations usually visible in Europe.
Overview
Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian merchant, explorer, and navigator from the Republic of Florence, from whose name the term "America" is derived.
Between 1497 and 1504, Vespucci participated in at least two voyages of the Age of Discovery, first on behalf of Spain (1499–1500) and then for Portugal (1501–1502). In 1503 and 1505, two booklets were published under his name, …
Biography
Vespucci was born on 9 March 1451, in Florence, a wealthy Italian city-state and a center of Renaissance art and learning.
Amerigo Vespucci was the third son of Nastagio Vespucci, a Florentine notary for the Money-Changers Guild, and Lisa di Giovanni Mini. The family resided in the District of Santa Lucia d'Ognissanti along with other families of the Vespucci c…
Naming of America
A few days ago I wrote you at some length about my return from those new regions we searched for and found with the fleet, at the expense and by the command of the most serene King of Portugal, and which can properly be called a "New World", since our forebears had absolutely no knowledge of it, nor do any of those who are hearing about it today...On 7 August 1501, we dropped our anchor off the shores of that new land, thanking God with solemn prayers and the c…
Vespucci letters
Knowledge of Vespucci's voyages relies almost entirely on a handful of letters written by him or attributed to him. Two of these letters were published during his lifetime and received widespread attention throughout Europe. Several scholars now believe that Vespucci did not write the two published letters in the form in which they circulated during his lifetime. They suggest that they were f…
Historiography
Vespucci has been called "the most enigmatic and controversial figure in early American history". The debate has become known among historians as the "Vespucci question". How many voyages did he make? What was his role on the voyages and what did he learn? The evidence relies almost entirely on a handful of letters attributed to him. Many historians have analysed these documents a…
Legacy
Vespucci's historical importance may rest more with his letters (whether or not he wrote them all) than his discoveries. Burckhardt cites the naming of America after him as an example of the immense role of the Italian literature of the time in determining historical memory. Within a few years of the publication of his two letters, the European public became aware of the newly discovered contin…
Bibliography
• Arciniegas, Germán (1955). Amerigo and the New World: The Life and Times of Amerigo Vespucci. Translated by de Onís, Harriet. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0374902801.
• Beazley, Charles Raymond (1911). "Vespucci, Amerigo" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). pp. 1053–1054.
External links
• Canaday, James A. "The Life of Amerigo Vespucci"
• Works by Amerigo Vespucci at Project Gutenberg
• Works by or about Amerigo Vespucci at Internet Archive
• Vespucci, Amerigo. "Account of His First Voyage 1497 (Letter to Pier Soderini, Gonfalonier of the Republic of Florence)". Internet Modern History Sourcebook-Fordham University (U.S.)