The end of the 15th and the entire 16th century became a time of revolutionary events for Europe. It was the era of the great geographical discoveries, which will soon lead the whole world to large-scale changes, significantly changing its appearance. In addition to the simple appearance of new territories at the disposal of Europeans and the emergence of new states on them in the future, these travels led to a change in the entire worldview of the society of the Old World. Proven fact that
the earth is round, did not become decisive in the rise of humanism and the principle of scientific knowledge, but he made an important contribution to the liberation of Europe from the religious scholasticism of the Middle Ages. In addition, the opening of new trade routes, new forms of large-scale slavery, the creation of a colonial system, the appearance in Europe of countless gold reserves of the Mesoamerican civilization led to a change in socio-economic and political relations in the Old World. All this contributed to the emergence of capitalism, civil society, the concept of nations, in general, the world as we know it now.
Monumentpioneers
Of course, the time of great deeds could not fail to leave in the memory of the Europeans and their heroes. They were those who personally participated in travels, creating the prerequisites for a new world, and those who made these voyages possible with their labors. Today, a monument to the discoverers rises in Lisbon, immortalizing in stone 33 figures who contributed to the discovery. The monument rises on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, and its faces are directed to the blue distance, where ships sailed five hundred years ago in search of new worlds.
Who is Amerigo Vespucci?
The name of this man was not among the discoverers immortalized in stone on the coast of Portugal. However, he influenced the development of events no less than others. Amerigo Vespucci was the son of a Florentine public notary. In his youth, he received a good education, having mastered physics, astronomy, navigation, Latin and theology. In 1490, he entered the service of a trading house located in Seville and owned by his compatriot Donato Berarrdi. This became an important moment in the fate of the young man, since it was this trading house that sponsored the travels of Christopher Columbus for some time. Obviously, during this period they met.
So who discovered the New World?
Today, many people know which continent was discovered by Amerigo Vespucci, and who does not know, it is not difficult to guess which continent this name is consonant with. However, our memory also says that the first European to discover the New World wasChristopher Columbus. Then why did it happen? Why was the mainland eventually named after Amerigo Vespucci - America? For the first time in modern times, Europeans
landed on islands near this continent in 1492. It was the expedition of Christopher Columbus, and no one today disputes his right to discover. However, the traveler did not understand and until his death (in 1506) did not know that he had found not a new path to India, but a new mainland. This discovery belongs to Amerigo Vespucci, who, inspired by the successes of other travelers, makes his own voyages to mysterious lands in 1499 and 1501. After exploring the coastline and returning to Europe, he is the first to say that a new continent has obviously been found across the ocean, and not Asia or islands at all, and he is waiting for his study. In particular, this is indicated in a letter from Amerigo to the Medici in 1503. The assignment of his name to the continent was also influenced by the fact that the Florentine published a number of notes about his own travels, introducing Europe to the overseas world. What Columbus didn't do. However, it is fair to say that Amerigo never initiated the name of the continent in his honor and probably did not even know about it until his death. The initiative belongs to European booksellers of the early 16th century, familiar with the discoveries, mainly from the news of a Florentine.
