Have you ever wondered why we are named 'America' after the Florentine, Amerigo Vespucci instead of 'Columbia', after Columbus?
Columbus reached the American continent the first time in 1492. He returned to Europe but made 2 more voyages to the New World before 1501 when Amerigo Vespucci, a passenger on a Portuguese voyage, started writing letters to friends back home describing the New World. His letters circulated faster than any of Columbus' personal accounts so people started thinking of the New World as Amerigo's world. So, we are the United States of America.
There is an element of this tale that I find funny. This would happen to me. I don't know why Columbus' accounts didn't circulate well, but if by some miracle I made an amazing discovery I'd have to wait until I got home to email anyone. I'd procrastinate calling, I'd stop at the grocery store on the way home, and the next thing I'd know is my great discovery has been named for some organized wiz with a blackberry!!! ha ha ha! It's true.
Columbus reached the American continent the first time in 1492. He returned to Europe but made 2 more voyages to the New World before 1501 when Amerigo Vespucci, a passenger on a Portuguese voyage, started writing letters to friends back home describing the New World. His letters circulated faster than any of Columbus' personal accounts so people started thinking of the New World as Amerigo's world. So, we are the United States of America.
There is an element of this tale that I find funny. This would happen to me. I don't know why Columbus' accounts didn't circulate well, but if by some miracle I made an amazing discovery I'd have to wait until I got home to email anyone. I'd procrastinate calling, I'd stop at the grocery store on the way home, and the next thing I'd know is my great discovery has been named for some organized wiz with a blackberry!!! ha ha ha! It's true.
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