|
The Expeditions to the New World(Vespucci)
Amerigo Vespucci claimed that he made four voyages to the New World. After what he called his first voyage, in 1497, he said he had sighted a vast continent (South America). In 1499 and 1500, Vespucci took part in an expedition led by the Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda. During this voyage, Vespucci's ship travelled along the coast of Venezuela. In 1501 and 1502, and again in 1503 and 1504, Vespucci sailed with the fleet of Goncalo Coelho, a Portuguese captain. Both of these expeditions explored the southern coast of Brazil.
He made two voyages along the coast of South America for Spain in 1499 through 1500 and Portugal in 1501 through 1502. He explored the New World's Continent on the northeast coast. He explored from Cape Sao Roque to the mouth of the Amazon River. H e headed southward to determine the extent of the Mainland. On January 1, 1502, he reached a harbor he named Rio De Janeiro, in honor of New Years Day. Amerigo's second achievement was to explore the European Discovery. It was the discovery of Rio De La Plata. This was between 1501 and 1502. His third achievement was the discovery of America. A German geographer named Martin Waldseemuller explored to Cape Santo Agostnho, at the tip of Brazil after coasting westward past the Maracaibo Gulf until he turned to Hispaniola. That may have been the America after Amerigo died and Martin used Amerigo's proof to name the new continent.
Vespucci also explored To Cape Santo Agustnho, at the tip of Brazil after coasting westward past the Maracaibo Gulf until he turned to Hispaniola.
AmericaThe successful voyages of Christopher Columbus increased Vespucci's desire to take a part in the general European movement to seek a western passage to the Indies. Having obtained three ships from Ferdinand, King of Castille, Vespucci was able to undertake his first voyage. Accordingly, he set sail from Cadiz on 10 May, 1497, sailing toward the Fortunate Islands, and then laying his course towards the west. After twenty-seven or thirty-seven days, on 6 or 10 April, he touched the mainland (Guiana or Brazil), and was well received by the inhabitants. In this first voyage he may have passed the Gulf of Mexico and coasted along a great portion of the United States, as far as the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Then he returned to Spain, and landed at Cadiz on 15 October, 1498.This largely unknown continent of America was later named after Amerigo Vespucci.
Continue................Page 2
Biography................Amerigo Vespucci
|
