AMERIGO VESPUCCI:
NAMESAKE OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

BY ANNIE FOSTER

It is commonly known and accepted that Christopher Columbus was the first European to "discover" the lands of the Western Hemisphere. Why then, is it named America and not Columbia? Who was Amerigo Vespucci? Why did he receive the credit for the discovery? Where was he from? Why did he come here?

BACKGROUND OF AMERIGO VESPUCCI

"The saying has been attributed to Bacon, that the youth of a great man often furnishes data of more importance than any other portion of his life, in guiding posterity to a just estimate of his character" (Lester, 47). Amerigo Vespucci was born into one of the most cultured and respected aristocratic families in all of Florence. "When the Vespucci family first established themselves in Florence, they chose [the] district of Ognissanti, because it was most convenient to their country estates" (Pohl, 13). "Their town house…presented a picture of comfort bordering on luxury, but not so luxurious as to dull the appetite or destroy initiative (Pohl, 13). His grandfather, also named Vespucci, served 36 years in the high position of Chancellor of the Signoria, which equates to Secretary of the Senate. His father, Nastagio, was also a prominent politician in Florence. Vespucci was the third son of Nastagio and was named after his grandfather. Amerigo's paternal uncle, "Giorgio Antonio Vespucci, had been from his youth, distinguished as a scholar" (Lester, 58).

Giorgio Antonio was a monk of the order of San Marco; about a year before Amerigo was born, "he opened a school in his convent for the sons of the principal nobles of Florence" (Lester, 58). When Amerigo was old enough, he began to attend his uncle's school. Giorgio Antonio was a very good teacher; this is shown in the "proficiency Amerigo wrote his Latin" (Pohl, 16). Amerigo's uncle also instructed him in "the field of the physical sciences" (Pohl, 17). Learning about the great minds of Ptolemy and Aristotle intrigued Amerigo and he developed a "particular ambition of adding to the sum of human knowledge, especially in astronomy, cosmography, and geography" (Pohl, 18). This development came in great contrast to the wishes of Nastagio for his son. Amerigo's father expected him to enter a mercantile career and further advance the fortunes of the Vespucci family.

"The studies of Americus were suddenly interrupted by the appearance of the plague in Florence, in the year 1478," (Lester, 60). Personal safety became the primary order of the day; therefore, all business and social activities were suspended. Friar Vespucci's school broke up as a result of a scattering of his pupils to avoid the plague. Amerigo's parents took him to their country home to keep him away from the deadly disease. "The contagion had barely subsided, when Americus resumed his studies with renewed ardour," (Lester, 61). He devoted much of his time to the studies of geometry and cosmography. He began to gain notoriety among the "sagest professors of those sciences by the acuteness of his remarks and conjectures," (Lester, 61)

VESPUCCI AS A MERCHANT

The Vespucci family was "often employed but the Medici bankers for delicate situations," (Amfitheatrof, 22). Accompianied by his uncle, Amerigo at age 26, was sent by the Medici to Paris on a diplomatic assignment. The mission was very beneficial to Amerigo, "since he wrote many of the dispatches himself and thus acquired skill in reporting information clearly and coherently," (Amfitheatrof, 22). Upon his return to Florence, Amerigo was as the representative of the House of Medici at Seville. It is almost certain that here he became acquainted with Christopher Columbus. "As a banker, he was able to learn at first hand how a voyage of exploration is assembled, what its objectives should be, what provisions and how much capital are necessary," (Amfitheatrof, 22). He also kept a close eye on voyages of other navigators.

In 1479, the year after the assassination conspiracy against the Medici family, "Florence suffered a defeat in war and was compelled to submit to a hard peace" (Pohl, 26). In order to meet the harsh financial terms of the peace agreement, heavy taxes were levied . "Life was then no bower of blossoms in the banking houses of Florence, and the Vespucci family fortune was reduced" (Pohl, 26). "The death of Ser Nastagio Vespucci, in April of 1482…compelled Amerigo to become the chief money-earner of his family, as the only one of the four sons directly trained for business," (Pohl, 27). Amerigo's knowledge of geography was beneficial to him in the mercantile business: " because goods obtained from distant countries especially, commanded higher prices and afforded greater opportunities for profit" (Pohl, 20). Amerigo was chosen to manage all the financial affairs of the Pier Francesco House of Medici. This was a great honor and compliment to Amerigo. "He was expected to produce profits and was to blame if anything went wrong," (Pohl, 280).

Working for the Medici's gave Amerigo a great deal of excess money of his own; he "indulged his hobby of collecting maps and books relating to cosmography and astronomy," (Pohl, 28). Early in 1493, Amerigo heard sailors telling stories about "the most famous voyage ever taken place, the voyage of the Portuguese Bartolomeu Dias to the Cape of Good Hope…"(Pohl, 36); this voyage was completed in 1488. He also heard occasional mention of the Italian Christopher Columbus who had been granted ships in order to find a western route to India. "Three months after Amerigo's arrival in Seville, the Triana were shouting that Colon had found a Spanish route to India, straight westward," (Pohl, 38). Although tempted to make a dash for India, like so many other merchants, Amerigo's commitment to Lorenzo de Medici kept him in Europe. It is suspected, however, that like other merchants, Amerigo most likely invested money for the second voyage of Columbus. As talk of the new trade route grew, Amerigo became more intrigued to follow the route to see what was on the other side.

AMERIGO BECOMES AN EXPLORER

"There is no way of determining the rank or position which Americus occupied in his first expedition," (Lester, 85). It is most likely that he did not hold a position of command; this assumption is made by the evidence found in his own personal letters, as well as remaining records. It has long been disputed as to when Vespucci actually made his first voyage across the Atlantic. Some critics "charge that he had faked his first voyage in order to claim credit for the discovery of the New World," (Amfitheatrof, 22). No one really knows if Amerigo truly did cross the Atlantic in 1497 or if the story of a secret voyage was just a great publicity stunt to gain more fame.

In May of 1499, Amerigo piloted 2 ships that would cross the equator and sail past Brazil and Venezuela; the fleet was "under the command of a Spanish captian, Hodeja," (Amfitheatrof, 23). The fleets next stop was at the Spanish colony at Hispaniola. It returned home to Europe in early September 1500. "If the dates are accurate, Vespucci was the discoverer of Brazil and the first explorer to have sailed for hundreds of miles along the coast of South America," (Amfitheatrof, 24). Ironically, during the voyage of 1499, whether it was his first or second, Amerigo did believe he was in Asia, agreeing with the opinion of Columbus. During his second or third voyage, Amerigo again sailed around the coast of South America; in a letter Florence, he speaks of a "Mudus Novus, or New World," (Amfitheatrof, 24).

Amerigo's statement in that letter that claimed that he had walked on the lands of a new world, caused a huge up-roar within the church. The Bible stated "that God had created the Island of the Earth,…for man's habitation," (Amfitheatrof, 24). Amerigo's claim suggested life elsewhere, living without the Christian God. It was easy for Europeans of the time to believe Columbus' inaccuracies, because it did not dispute what the Bible said existed. "Columbus was so firmly self-taught that he could not be re-educated," (Pohl, 41). Amerigo "revolutionized geography, for his discovery of the new continent carried the unavoidable corollary that between the New World and Asia there was another ocean to cross…" (Pohl, 139).

NAMING OF THE NEW CONTINENT

Soon after knowledge spread of the possibility of another continent, cartographers "began to incorporate his great idea into their maps…"(Pohl, 141). In 1507, Martin Waldseemuller, a German geographer, was making a new world map; on his map, he gave credit to Columbus for discovering the New World, but called the lower portion of the continent America to honor the man who recognized the land as a new world. Cartographers continued to call the new land America without Amerigo's knowledge; the name began to stick. Amerigo retired from navigating to take "the post of Piloto Mayor of Spain…" (Amfitheatrof, 25). His duties consisted of overseeing almost anything that had concern with navigation and sea-faring for Spain. He remained in this position until his death in 1512.

Debate continued for years after Amerigo's death as to the status of the "Indies": whether they were part of a new continent or an extension of Asia. It would be centuries until Amerigo Vespucci received the credit he deserved for recognizing a whole new land; even though at the time of his discoveries, he was thought highly of by his contemporaries. Yet, despite the fact that it is now proven that his speculation was accurate, he is still overshadowed by his predecessor, Christopher Columbus.

WORKS CITED

Amfitheatrof, Erik. The Children of Columbus.. Little, Brown and Company, Boston-Toronto, 1973.

Gerbi, Antonello. The Dispute of the New World. Trans. Jeremy Moyle. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1973.

Lester, C Edwards. The Life and Voyages of Americus Vespucius. New Amsterdam Book Company Publishers: New York, 1903.

Pohl, Frederick J. Amerigo Vespucci: Pilot Major. Octagon Books, Inc. New York, 1966.