What did amerigo vespucci discover

Italian navigator. Both Americas bear his name. Date of Birth: Country: Italy

Amerigo Vespucci: Italian Navigator and Explorer

Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian navigator and explorer, was born on March 9, , in Florence.

Amerigo vespuccis full biography wikipedia The intention was to sail around the southern end of the African mainland into the Indian Ocean. While Vespucci did not start out commanding the expedition, when Portuguese officers asked him to take charge of the voyage he agreed. You can opt out at any time. 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.

He is the namesake of both Americas. Vespucci was of Florentine origin and received a humanistic education in his family. He served for a long time in the Medici banking house before moving to Spain in

In Spain, Vespucci worked as an agent for the same firm in Seville, mainly involved in equipping ships.

He thoroughly studied the structure of ships, mastered navigation and astronomy, and created various maps. In , he joined the Spanish maritime service and participated in the outfitting of Christopher Columbus' second and third expeditions, with whom he was friends.

From to , Vespucci served as a pilot on Alonso de Ojeda's expedition, commanding two ships equipped at his own expense.

In July , the fleet approached the northern coast of South America at 5° or 6° north latitude, where they split up. Vespucci headed southeast and, on July 2nd, discovered the delta of the Amazon River and its estuary, the Para River, venturing up km.

Amerigo vespuccis full biography free He is the namesake of both Americas. Credits New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. In this role, Vespucci's job was to recruit and train other navigators, as well as to gather data on continued New World exploration. 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.

He then continued sailing southeast to the Bay of San Marcos (44° west longitude), uncovering approximately km of the northern coastal strip of South America, and discovering the Guiana Current. Vespucci turned back and, in August, caught up with Alonso de Ojeda near 66° west longitude.

Together, they explored over km of the southern coast of the continent, including the Paraguana and Guaira peninsulas, the Triste and Venezuelan gulfs, the Maracaibo lagoon, and several islands, including Curacao.

In the autumn, Vespucci separated from Ojeda again, surveyed the South American coast for km southwest, and returned to Spain in June

From to , Vespucci served in the Portuguese fleet as an astronomer, navigator, and historiographer on the first Portuguese expedition led by Gonçalo Coelho. In mid-August , they reached the Atlantic coast of South America at 5°30' south latitude and sailed as far as 16°, duplicating the discoveries of Spaniard Vicente Yáñez Pinzón ().

On January 1, , the expedition discovered the bay of Rio de Janeiro (Guanabara), traced the coast for km southwest (to 25° south latitude), and, convinced that the land continued in the same direction, turned back.

One caravel arrived in Portugal at the end of June, and the other, with Coelho and Vespucci, arrived in early September (the third, which became unserviceable, had to be burned).

From to , Vespucci commanded a caravel in the second expedition of Gonçalo Coelho, consisting of six ships.

Amerigo vespuccis full biography Early Life and Education Born March 9, , in Florence, Italy, during the height of the Renaissance , Vespucci came from a prominent family with ties to the Medici dynasty. While the definition of America expanded to include more territory, Vespucci seemed to gain credit for areas that most would agree were actually first discovered by Columbus. He died of malaria in Seville, Spain, on February 22, By the late s, Vespucci's business was struggling to make a profit anyway.

In early August , one of their ships sank near Ascension Island (8° south latitude), and three others disappeared without a trace.

Vespucci and Coelho's caravels reached the bay of "All Saints," previously discovered at 13°. Following Vespucci's orders, a detachment landed and became the first to climb the steep slope of the Brazilian Highlands and penetrate km into the country.

In the harbor at 23° south latitude, during a 5-month stay, the Portuguese built a fleet and left 24 sailors, returning to Lisbon at the end of June with a cargo of sandalwood. As a result of his voyages along the northern and eastern coasts of the newly discovered land, Vespucci developed a correct understanding of it as a southern transatlantic continent.

In , he proposed naming the continent the "New World."

In , the Lorraine cartographer Martin Waldseemüller attributed the discovery of the "fourth part of the world" made by Columbus and Vespucci and "christened" this continent America in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. In , this widely recognized name was extended to North America on Mercator's map.

Amerigo vespuccis full biography pdf He died of malaria in Seville, Spain, on February 22, There is some speculation as to whether Vespucci made additional voyages. From these letters, the European public learned of the newly discovered continent of the Americas for the first time. In , America was named after him.

In , after moving to Spain again, Vespucci acquired Castilian citizenship. In , he was appointed as the chief pilot of Spain, a newly established position which he held until his death.

According to his contemporaries, Vespucci was remarkably honest, intelligent, and observant. Possessing exceptional literary talent, he often exaggerated and described the nature of the newly discovered lands, the appearance and way of life of the indigenous people, and the southern hemisphere's starry sky, but consistently omitted the leaders of the expeditions and his own role in them.

Vespucci never sought to overshadow Columbus' achievements, and Columbus' sons also made no claims against him. He died on February 22, , in Seville.