Posted on 11/07/2021 12:15:44 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
Why aren’t the continents of North and South America called “Columbusia” after Christopher Columbus? The word America comes from a lesser-known navigator and explorer, Amerigo Vespucci. Who made the decision? A cartographer.
Like Columbus, Vespucci traveled to the New World (first in 1499 and again in 1502). Unlike Columbus, Vespucci wrote about it. Vespucci’s accounts of his travels were published between 1502 and 1504 and were widely read in Europe. Columbus was also hindered because he thought he had discovered another route to Asia; he didn’t realize America was a whole new continent. Vespucci, however, realized that America was not contiguous with Asia. He was also the first to call it the New World, or Novus Mundus in Latin.
With the discovery of this “New World,” maps were being redrawn all the time. No one really knew what land was where or how big it was. Because of this confusion, maps from the 1500s are incredibly inaccurate and contradictory. (They also often feature drawings of mythical sea creatures.)
From Amerigo to America
In 1507, a German cartographer named Martin Waldseemüller was drawing a map of the world—a very serious map. He called it the Universalis Cosmographia, or Universal Cosmography. Comprised of 12 wooden panels, it was eight feet wide and four-and-a-half feet tall. He based his drawings of the New World on Vespucci’s published travelogues. All countries were seen as feminine (like her lady Liberty today), so Waldseemüller used a feminine, Latinized form of Amerigo to name the new continents “America.” Cartographers tended to copy one another’s choices, so Columbus was left off the map. The rest is history.
Today, an original of Waldseemüller’s map is permanently on display at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
(Excerpt) Read more at dictionary.com ...
This is news?
A nice interesting article, but sorry, this is elementary school history stuff.
Is there anyone reading this who NOT know this fact?
It could be worse...Welcome to Newe Vespuchiland!
Thanks CondoleezzaProtege.
Wrong...Trump gave us the name...
I am willing to lay down a bet that 8 out of 10 current public High School graduates could not come up with the answer.
Any takers?
Not many people know this, but here we’re several other choices including Robert, who went by Bob, and James also known as little Jimmy. Along with thier third friend, Amerigo, it was decided that Amerigo had a nice ring to it. It also began with the first letter of the alphabet, which sealed the deal.
Is there a Mark Dice interview?
And Vespuchi enslaved the indigenous people, so we have to change the name of our country and the names of North and South America.
And Vespuchi enslaved the indigenous people, so we have to change the name of our country and the names of North and South America.
Right after the Democrat party slavers change their name. Kamala’s paternal family owned slaves in Jamaica, which last I checked wasn’t a white country.
It may have been “elementary school history stuff” when you and I were in elementary school (1950’s for me), but I doubt it is even taught in current “public” schools at any level. But everyone is taught that Columbus brought slavery, disease, death/genocide and persecution to the Indians instead.
Apparently Vespucci made it appear that he was the first European to see the mainland of what we call South America. Actually Columbus had seen it earlier, but Waldseemueller thought Vespucci was first when he proposed the name "America."
Of course Leifia might be more appropriate.
Who came up with India Nova (”New India”?)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/OrteliusWorldMap1570.jpg
I want to say I’ve seen “Nova India” also.
I don’t think 1570 is the earliest use of that term.
He definitely had a nose for navigation.
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