Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-06-09
Why "Americn,r

why America
How did it happen that ,bs go.
discovered by Christopher Corr,. ,,.''-o'
ceived its name from America ~, :
pucius? Thanks to the zeal u.;.L -
investigation has been recent. -'''Sh
ed into all these matters This ~. ISL
urai query can be answered NOV. Ia. ,','
more intelligently than il corra ''.'0
years ago. The first printed - '''
which the name America appear u vi
published at Lyons in 1916 ,e, ,., ls
after the death Of Columns D l'''
was in 1907 that there issued sro.. - :, u
obscure college press of the tow, -, ., s'F
Die in Lorraine little book y. D.
phlet, called "Cosmographia I7t-n rau.'
no" by Martin waldseemuIIe- =;
which such use of the name w. g..
proposed. 1t came about in The i'
Vespucius, a Florentine Of bioh
pute as a navigator, a friend Of CoIrn
bus, stirred by his discoveries r. -
with Oieda in 1899 to explore the ,o-y I'
ern coast of South America and an,:.
in lSOl-l503 he made VOYAGES rb;..
opened UP to knowledge the coss, y,
Brazil.
he wrote. soon after. an accom-. =,
his travels so racy and graphic tho, ;.
instantly became popular and nae,
ed through many editions in the va,
ious tongues of Europe. One Of tbs..
booklets fell into the hands of the I'M.
band Of scholars at St. Die and o,n.
rise to their suggestion that poot
name for the New World which vss
pucius had done so much to brino -
the notice of the Old World, and which
lay directly over against Africa woulI
be America.
There was no thought whatever .,
this time of appending tbe name :,
anything but the continental mass q,
unknown shape and size, which Law he.
hind the Brazilian shore. and which
was looked upon as totally distinct
region from the islands which had been
discovered by Columbus. while as 10
any continent north Of the islands
there was as yet very little knowledge.
With this Brazilian land first seen
through an accident BY Catral in 1900
no other name was now so prominently
and legitimately connected as that Of
Americas Vespucius.
No protest was raised against the pro.
posed name by the heirs or friends OF
Columbus. 1t was not regarded as in
any way invading or invalidating the
claims and rights of the discoverer Of
the regions further north The name,
therefore. as applied to the southern
continent easily came into general &C.
ceptance. 1t soon became widely
adopted. especially in the German and
French maps and globes, and in fact
throughout central and northern
Europe.
Vespucius died in 1872. There is
no evidence connecting him with the
naming, or with any false preten-
sion in regard to the discovery.
Not till 1541. BY which time it BE-
gan to be certain that the northern
lands were not, as they had been pre-
viously supposed. a part of Asia 30
any map appear giving the name Of
America to the whole of the Western
Continent, and not till a few years pre-
vious to this did il seem 10 occur 10 any
that injustice was being done, or mlen'
be done, by this name. to the superior
claims of Columbus.
Las Casas and other friends spoke ur
now for "Columbia:" but it was 100
late-the mischief had been wrought
And all had been done, as is quite EVIL
dent, with entire innocence ami na'ur'
alness.
Had the prominent thing in the con-
nection with Columbuss discoveries
been the continent instead OF me
islands, and had not his fame DEC.
under so great an eclipse at the time Z.
his death and for quite a pefiO'
afterward. and had Spain pursued
less selfish, exclusive, secretlve POM,
in regard to all its information aOO"'
the New World. 1t would not nave Ve'"
left to other hands to name TINS Gun.
tinent and to take from SPANS g''"'
admiral this deserved recognition