Today is an anniversary of sorts for 'America'.....at least the name if not the creation.
1. Today, April 25 of 1507 was the first time that the term “America” was used on a map by cartographer:
"The earliest known use of the name America is attributed to the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller who, while working in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges in 1507, created a globe and a large map showing North and South America."
Waldseemüller map - Wikipedia
2. In the seventh chapter of the Cosmographiæ Introduction, written by Matthias Ringmann, it is explained why the name America was proposed for the then New World, or the Fourth Part of the World:
'And in the sixth climate toward the Antarctic, the recently discovered farther part of Africa . . . and a fourth part of the world (which may be called Amerige, as if meaning "Americus' land", or America) are situated.'
3. In the ninth chapter of the same book the reasons for the name America are given in more detail:
'But now these parts have been more widely explored, and also another fourth part has been discovered by Americus Vesputius (as will be heard in the following), and I do not see why anyone should justifiably forbid it to be called Amerige, as if "Americus' Land", or America, from its discoverer Americus, a man of perceptive character; since both Europa and Asia have received their names from women.'
Ibid.
Universalis Cosmographia, Waldseemüller's 1507 world map which was the first to show the Americas separate from Asia
1. Today, April 25 of 1507 was the first time that the term “America” was used on a map by cartographer:
"The earliest known use of the name America is attributed to the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller who, while working in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges in 1507, created a globe and a large map showing North and South America."
Waldseemüller map - Wikipedia
2. In the seventh chapter of the Cosmographiæ Introduction, written by Matthias Ringmann, it is explained why the name America was proposed for the then New World, or the Fourth Part of the World:
'And in the sixth climate toward the Antarctic, the recently discovered farther part of Africa . . . and a fourth part of the world (which may be called Amerige, as if meaning "Americus' land", or America) are situated.'
3. In the ninth chapter of the same book the reasons for the name America are given in more detail:
'But now these parts have been more widely explored, and also another fourth part has been discovered by Americus Vesputius (as will be heard in the following), and I do not see why anyone should justifiably forbid it to be called Amerige, as if "Americus' Land", or America, from its discoverer Americus, a man of perceptive character; since both Europa and Asia have received their names from women.'
Ibid.
Universalis Cosmographia, Waldseemüller's 1507 world map which was the first to show the Americas separate from Asia
