Amerigo Vespucci
Mini Bio: Amerigo Vespucci
Background
Background
Amerigo was born in Italy. His parents where Ser Nastagio and Lisabetta Mini, however his Uncle was in charge of his education. He got a very good education at a young age. His father intended for him to have a business career, and he went to France to visit his uncle's company. He got involved in business in Florence, then in Seville, and after that, he got involved in it in Spain, at a bank. He got into a partnership with another Florentine named Gianentto Beradi, and it lasted until Gainentto's death.
Voyages
First Voyage
While it is unsure weather the first voyage really happened or not, due to things not adding up, for informational purposes we're going to assume it did.
Vespucci's first voyage went from Cadiz, Spain, on May 10, 1497. The ships passed through the West Indies without finding any islands, and later reached the mainland of Venezuela, meaning he had found it a year before Christopher Columbus. On the return to Spain, Vespucci's crew discovered an island with people on it.
Second Voyage
On May of 1499, Vespucci set sail from Cadiz, Spain, and headed to Cape Verde Islands, but split up in the Atlantic. He then went to cape santo agostinho, and later went past the maracaibo gulf. During this voyage, he most likely discovered the mouth of the amazon river.
Third Voyage
Vespucci's third voyage, sailing under service of King I of Portugal, was considered his most successful one. He, actually, did not start out as commander, but when asked to be commander, he accepted. He sailed along the coast of South America, from São Roque to Patagonia, and discovered present-day Rio de Janeiro and Rio de la Plata. After that, they headed back via Sierra Leone and the Arzores. He thought he'd discovered a new continent, and ended up calling South America the New World.
Fourth Voyage
Again, sailing under the Portuguese flag, and accompanied by Gonzal Coelho, went back over to Brazil. When they didn't make any discoveries, the fleet disbanded. Soon after, the captain was nowhere to be found. Vespucci went anyway, and sailed more. He discovered Bahia and an island of South Georgia, but shortly after, he was forced to return to Lisbon, Portugal.
More voyages?
It is unknown if Vespucci made more voyages. He may have made one in 1505 and in 1507, but it is unknown.
Impact
Impact
Vespucci made a big impact. He discovered a LOT of islands, influenced the name of 2 countries as well as 2 continents. Along with this, he discovered many places on the map, which opened up places to be civilized, causing world-altering affects, by setting off the chain reaction that created new civilizations.
Overall, Vespucci was a brave explorer who made a big impact.