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Where Caciques and Mapmakers Met: The 1507 Waldseemüller Map and its Impact on History

Brian Bell

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Published in Where Caciques And Mapmakers Met: Border Making In Eighteenth Century South America (The David J Weber In The New Borderlands History)

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In the year 1507, a German cartographer named Martin Waldseemüller published a map that would change the course of history. This map was the first to name the New World "America" after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. It was also the first to show the Americas as separate from Asia.

Where Caciques and Mapmakers Met: Border Making in Eighteenth Century South America (The David J Weber in the New Borderlands History)

Where Caciques and Mapmakers Met: Border Making in Eighteenth-Century South America (The David J. Weber Series in the New Borderlands History)

by Tim Slessor

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
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Waldseemüller's map was based on the explorations of Vespucci and other European explorers. Vespucci had made several voyages to the New World, and he was one of the first Europeans to realize that the Americas were not part of Asia. He wrote a letter to a friend in which he described the New World as a "new world," and Waldseemüller used this description as the basis for his map.

Waldseemüller's map was a huge success. It was widely distributed and used by explorers and scholars alike. It helped to shape the way Europeans viewed the world, and it played a role in the European colonization of the Americas.

The Impact of the Waldseemüller Map

The Waldseemüller map had a profound impact on history. It helped to:

* Establish the name "America" for the New World. * Show the Americas as separate from Asia. * Shape the way Europeans viewed the world. * Play a role in the European colonization of the Americas.

The Waldseemüller map is a testament to the power of cartography. It is a reminder that maps are not just representations of the world, but they can also shape the world itself.

The Creation of the Waldseemüller Map

The Waldseemüller map was created in the city of Saint-Dié, France. Waldseemüller was working with a group of scholars known as the Gymnasium Vosagense. The gymnasium was a center of learning and scholarship, and it was here that Waldseemüller developed his ideas for the map.

Waldseemüller used a variety of sources to create his map. He consulted with explorers, scholars, and other cartographers. He also used data from his own observations. Waldseemüller's map was a complex and ambitious undertaking, and it took him several years to complete.

The Waldseemüller Map Today

The Waldseemüller map is one of the most important maps in history. It is a valuable historical document, and it is also a beautiful work of art. The map is currently housed in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

The Waldseemüller map is a reminder of the importance of cartography. It is a testament to the power of maps to shape our understanding of the world.

Where Caciques and Mapmakers Met: Border Making in Eighteenth-Century South America (The David J. Weber Series in the New Borderlands History)

by Tim Slessor

5 out of 5