Amerigo Vespucci will long be remembered as the
man America was named after. Vespucci was born in 1454 to a prominent
family in Florence, Italy. As a young man he read widely, collected
books and maps, and even studied under Michaelangelo. He began
working for local bankers and was sent to Spain in 1492 to look
after his employer's business interests.
While in Spain, be began working on ships and ultimately went
on his first expedition as a navigator in 1499. This |