who was america named after?

Question

Which person was America named after? Please provide links or other sufficient evidence. Thank you.

Answer 1

Amerigo Vespucci

The Explorer For Whom America Was Named:

Amerigo Vespucci will long be remembered as the man America was named after but who was this inconsequential explorer and how did he get his name on two continents?
Vespucci was born in 1454 to a prominent family in Florence, Italy. As a young man he read widely and collected books and maps. He began working for local bankers and was sent to Spain in 1492 to look after his employer's business interests.

While in Spain, Amerigo Vespucci began working on ships and ultimately went on his first expedition as a navigator in 1499. This expedition reached the mouth of the Amazon River and explored the coast of South America. Vespucci was able to calculate how far west he had traveled by observing the conjunction of Mars and the Moon.

On his second voyage in 1501, Amerigo Vespucci sailed under the Portuguese flag. After leaving Lisbon, it took Vespucci 64 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean due to light winds. His ships followed the South American coast to within 400 miles of the southern tip, Tierra del Fuego.

While on this voyage, Vespucci wrote two letters to a friend in Europe. He described his travels and was the first to identify the New World of North and South America as separate from Asia. (Until he died, Columbus thought he had reached Asia.)

Amerigo Vespucci also described the culture of the indigenous people, and focused on their diet, religion, and what made these letters very popular - their sexual, marriage, and childbirth practices. The letters were published in many languages and were distributed across Europe (they were a much better seller than Columbus' own diaries).

Amerigo Vespucci was named Pilot Major of Spain in 1508. Vespucci was proud of this accomplishments, "I was more skillful than all the shipmates of the whole world." Vespucci's third voyage to the New World was his last for he contracted malaria and died in Spain in 1512 at the age of 58.
SOURCE AND CREIDT
http://geography.about.com/cs/historicalgeog/a/amerigo.htm

Answer 2

Lisbon is Europe's second-oldest capital and after home to the world's greatest explorers like Vasco da Gama, Magellan and Prince Henry the Navigator, becoming the very first correct world town, the capital of an empire scattering over-all continents, from South America (Brazil) to Asia (Macao, China; Goa, India) and know you are able to spend a couple of time to understand this ancient town, with hotelbye is wherever you should start. Probably the most recognized of Lisbon's major attractions could be the St. George's Castle. That castle directions a wonderful position near Alfama on the crown of a mountain overlooking the Portuguese capital. This is among Lisbon's hottest tourist destinations. Its remarkable battlements, engaging memorial, and fascinating archaeological website combine to really make the castle a satisfying knowledge for the whole family, and kids specially will love clambering within the sturdy walls and systems that encircle the grounds.

Answer 3

The site www.uhmc.sunysb.edu/surgery/America.html has a long, informative article. Some theories mentioned are:
(1) AMERIGO VESPUCCI, whose discovery of the mainland of the New World,
(2) Neither he nor Columbus (1492) "discovered" America. It is believed that (a) prehistoric ancestors of the Native Americans got here when they crossed over a land bridge from Russia, (b) some believe a black African made a discovery over 3,000 years ago that influenced the development of the Mayan, Aztec, and Inca civilizations; (c) Leif Ericsson came to VINLAND from Greenland in the latter half of the 13th century and a theory from the 1930's said the continent was named AMTERIC with "Amt" meaning "district" and ERIC to come up with this or "Land of the great (Leif) Eric."; and (d) other Norsemen who came here in 11 the century called this land "OMMERIKE" --or like "oh-MER-ric-eh)---which is an Old Norse word for "FARTHEST OUTLAND."

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
who was america named after?
Which person was America named after? Please provide links or other sufficient evidence. Thank you.

Answer 5

the Italian map-maker, Amerigo Vespucci. He made made world maps at that time and named America (which was not yet named) after himself.

Answer 6

It was a blck girl picked up in west Africa and her name is "Ame Deka" ( AMEDICA ) she was a little young black who picked with her mother at time... between NIGERIA, DAHOME AND GHANA

Answer 7

The same question pops up again

Answer 8

http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/bookmarks/americas_name/

All kinds of interesting stuff on here.