Adventurer, merchant and mapper of the New World, Amerigo Vespucci's life is fascinating and vivid ? his letters, published here in full, reveal his discoveries. Born in Florence in the mid-15th century, Vespucci expressed an interest in the newly-discovered lands across the Atlantic Ocean from an early age. Educated by his uncle, a learned Dominican friar, in youth that Vespucci displayed a talent for money matters and mathematics ? these talents helped during his sea expeditions, which saw him draw many of the first maps made of South America's coast. This book does not merely contain Vespucci's own writings, but also letters of other authors who refer to him and his accomplishments. Christopher Columbus praised Vespucci's competence, while he is alluded to multiple times in the writings of historian Bartolome de las Casas. The compiler, annotator and translator of these correspondences is Clements R. Markham, who is keen to reveal the character and deeds that underpin Amerigo Vespucci's reputation.

The letters he wrote that convinced Europeans to name the New World America (after him).

Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian explorer, navigator and cartographer who first demonstrated that Brazil and the West Indies did not represent Asia's eastern outskirts as initially conjectured from Columbus' voyages, but instead constituted an entirely separate landmass hitherto unknown to Europeans. Colloquially named the New World, this second super continent came to be known as "Americas", deriving its name from Americus, the Latin transcription of Vespucci's first name. Learn more about the man who gave his name to the new continent, read his personal letters, diaries and what his contemporaries wrote about him. Table of Contents: Biography of Amerigo Vespucci by Frederick A. Ober Life of Vespucci by Clements R. Markham Letter of Amerigo Vespucci to a "Magnificent Lord" Letter of Amerigo Vespucci to Lorenzo Pietro F. di Medici Evidence of Alonso de Hojeda respecting his Voyage of 1499 Account of the Voyage of Hojeda, 1499-1500, by Navarrete Letter of the Admiral Christopher Columbus to his Son Letter of Vianelo to the Seigneury of Venice Letter of Naturalization in Favour of Vespucci Appointment of Amerigo Vespucci as Chief Pilot Chapters from Las Casas, which discuss the Statements of Vespucci: Evidence respecting the Voyage of Pinzon and Solis Las Casas on the Voyage of Pinzon and Solis

A biography of the Italian-born merchant, explorer, and navigator who made several voyages to the New World and for whom America is named.

The biography of Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512), the Italian explorer whose discoveries led to the continent of America being named after him. Amerigo Vespucci made four voyages during which he discovered a lot of the coastline and rivers of South, Central and North America. The first of Amerigo's voyages has been disputed since he first described it, because it meant that Amerigo Vespucci had reached the mainland of America before Christopher Columbus. So instead of the continent of America being named after Columbus, it came to be named America after Amerigo. Often out of resentment at the lessening of Columbus's achievements, allegations have persisted for centuries that Amerigo or somebody else has either fabricated much of what was described of his voyages, or has been mistaken in what was written. Amerigo saw peoples, plants and animals never seen before by Europeans. His crew found the bird song so melodious, and the trees so beautiful and sweet smelling, that they imagined themselves in a terrestrial paradise. His voyages brought him in to contact with thousands of naked natives, who met with Amerigo's crew with anything from a warm and curious welcome to vicious warfare. He described some of the natives as being lascivious beyond measure, especially the women, and that the men took as many wives as they pleased, often marrying their mothers or their sisters. Amerigo wrote that the natives had neither laws nor religion. Many of them were cannibals, some of whom smoked the meat of their victims before eating it. Even some of Amerigo's own men were killed by being pulled to pieces, before being eaten in view of the rest of the crew. Included are all of the first hand accounts of the four voyages, detailed in letters written by Amerigo Vespucci to his friend Pietro Soderini who was Gonfaloniere of the Republic of Florence, and to Lorenzo di Piero Francesco de Medici, who was an Italian banker and politician.