Who gave America its name and is there a meaning behind it?

Answer 1

Named after Amerigo Vespucci, Italian mapmaker and navigator.

Answer 2

Amerigo Vespucci (March 9, 1454 -February 22, 1512) was an Italian merchant, explorer and cartographer. He played a senior role in two voyages which explored the east coast of South America between 1499 and 1502. On the second of these voyages he discovered that South America extended much further south than previously known by Europeans. This convinced him that this land was part of a new continent, a bold contention at a time when other European explorers crossing the Atlantic Ocean thought they were reaching Asia. Vespucci's voyages became widely known in Europe after two accounts attributed to him were published between 1502 and 1504.[1] In 1507, Martin Waldseemüller produced a world map on which he named the new continent "America" after Vespucci's first name, Amerigo. In an accompanying book, Waldseemüller published one of the Vespucci accounts, which led to criticism that Vespucci was trying to usurp Christopher Columbus's glory. However, the rediscovery in the 18th century of other letters by Vespucci has led to the view that the early published accounts were fabrications, not by Vespucci, but by others.

Answer 3

It was named for Amerigo Vespucci who was an explorer who claimed to have discovered the Americas and was actually the first to openly say that what Columbus found was not in Asia. He supplied 2 of Columbus's voyages so I'm sure that part of the reason Columbus didn't fight him on the naming issue was financial.

Answer 4

Named after Amerigo Vespucci.

Why, dunno.

A lot of place names are after native names, like, say, the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico (Mayan and Mexica names), but as to why the US got an Italian name...maybe they lost a bet or something.

Answer 5

Americo Vespucci, sailor and mapmaker who manage to steel the credit of America's discovery from C. Columbus

Answer 6

I am almost sure it is named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci.

Answer 7

it is named after amerigo vespucci, the guy who discovered it (the americas being north and south america)

Answer 8

Look to the Freemasons and our founding fathers, "Merica" also look closely at a map of Wash. D.C. , that's as far as I'll go.

Answer 9

Well that maybe how America got its name but he was not a map maker.. All he was is a slave. And they sent him ashore first to check thing out So like it or not America was named after a black slave.. Whom history has tried to turn white and give title to......... And if by chance you doubt my word, please check out your local library and look at the drawing of him and read the real story of This humble Slave man................................ One more thing naming America after a slave started out as a joke but some how it stuck and has remained............................................................... History can sometime can come back and bite you in the butt and this was one of those cases...................................... Read more who know what other truth you might learn................................

Answer 10

im not sure, but i think "America" comes from a spanish explorer named "Amerigo Vaspucci"

dont quote me on this