I did my project on Amerigo Vespucci who was born March 9, 1454 in Florence, Italy. Vespucci was the 3rd son of Nastagio and Lisabetta Vespucci. Amerigo accepted mercantile life where he was hired as a clerk by the Florentine commercial house of Medici. In 1492 Medici sent the 38yr old Vespucci and Donato as confidential agents to look into the Medici branch office where the managers and dealings became suspicious. In 1495, by the intrigues of Bishop Juan Rodriguez, the Crown of Castile broke their monopoly deal with Christopher Columbus and they began to hand out licenses to other navigators for the West Indies. Shortly after this time, around 1495-1496 Vespucci became engaged as the executor of Giannotto Berardi, who was an Italian merchant
It is said that his first and fourth are disputed to have occurred, while the second and third are certain voyages. In 1504 a letter was published which purports to be an account written by Vespucci. This letter was written to Soderini, of a lengthy visit to the New World, where he left Spain in May 1497 and returned October 1498. However, modern scholars have doubted that this voyage took place, and therefore think that this letter is a forgery. On his second Voyage, around 1499-1500, Vespucci joined an expedition in the service of Spain. The intention was to sail around the southern end of the African mainland into the Indian Ocean. He then sailed southward discovering the mouth of the Amazon River and reaching 6 degrees S before turning around to see Trinidad and the Orinoco River and returning to Spain by way of Hispaniola. On his last certain voyage, Vespucci was led by Goncalo Coelho in 1501-1502 in the service of Portugal. They departed from Lisbon, and the fleet sailed first to Cape Verde where they met two of Pedro Alvares Cabral’s ships, which were returning from India. When he reached the coast of Brazil, he sailed south along the coast of South America to Rio de Janerio’s bay. On his return to Lisbon, Vespucci wrote a letter to Medici, saying that the land masses they explored were much larger and different, and therefore, must be a New World, that is a previously unknown fourth continent, after Europe, Asia and Africa.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus was a self-made man who worked his way up to being the Captain of a merchant vessel. He gained the support of the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, for an expedition to the Indies. With the support of the Spanish monarchy, he set off to find a new and faster trade route to the Indies. Upon the arrival of his first voyage, Columbus wrote a letter to Luis de Santangel, a “royal official and an early supporter of his venture,” in February 1493 (35). The epistle, letter, entitled “Letter to Luis de Santangel Regarding the First Voyage” was copied and then distributed in Spain before being translated and spread throughout Europe. The Letter is held in such regard with the people as it is considered the first printed description of the new world. Through his description of the nature of the islands, Columbus decided the future fate of the islands. His description of the vast beauty of the nature around him, declares both the economic and nationalistic motivations for colonizing the new world.
Jose de San Martin was an Argentine liberator in South America. San Martin was considered one of the principal fighters against royalist forces in South America. He was considered a master in military strategy. This skill alone would lead him to success against the royalist forces. Jose de San Martin was born on February 28, 1778 in the viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata’. He started his career in the military as an infantryman in the Murcia regiment in southeast Spain. Although a Spaniard, between 1808 and 1811 he fought against the forces of Napoleon because of his dislike of the monarchy and the colonial system. In 1811 he resigned from the Spanish Army he sailed to Buenos Aires where he became a member of the revolutionary regime. In this new
The discovery of the New World was a minute factor in the development of Power during Ferdinand and Isabella's reign. Whilst Isabella and Ferdinand did commission Christopher Columbus for his voyage, this was under the pretence that there as huge wealth to be found, however the mission failed and resulted in Columbus returning to Castile in chains. Pendrill argues that the...
In 1484, Christopher Columbus attempted to interest King John II of Portugal in his voyage to explore the West. His attempt was a fail, but that did not make him lose his hope. About eight years later he went to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, attempting his service in leading such an extraordinary voyage. After the death of the last Muslim Spain agreed to finance the voyage and named Columbus as the admiral and governor of any lands he should find. In 1492 Columbus received his approval; he started his voyage to explode the west on August 3, 1492. Columbus first landing was in the Bahamas, later he discovered the Northeast coast of Cuba, eastward to the islands of Hispaniola, which now is known as Haiti and Dominican Republic. When discovering the eastward islands of Hispaniola, Columbus lost his flagship name Santa Maria, one of his famous three shi...
Columbus was a very good speaker and very persuasive. He convinced the King and Queen of Spain to fund his expedition to “Asia” and he told about all the gold and spices that would be discovered there and how they would be wealthy.# Columbus told them his famous terms which stated that he would receive no less than one-tenth of all the wealth that would arrive from Asia through the new route, and not only wealth he had made on his expedition but for all the wealth made from all future expeditions.# Columbus did not want this to be limited to himself, but after he died the profits would continue on to his heir. He also wanted to have receive titles such of “viceroy” and “admiral of the ocean sea”. # This shows his amount of greed and how much he wanted to be known as someone with high power.
Christopher Columbus, one of the most famous explorers with an extraordinary legacy was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. He was an Italian explorer and navigator and is very well known for his four voyages and his “discovery” of the New World. Columbus began sailing when he was just a teenager in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. Later, he moved to Lisbon, Portugal and then Spain, where he spent the rest of his life. Columbus’ purpose was to find a passage to Asia by sailing West, but during his voyage he ended up in the Caribbeans and South America. Columbus’ proposal was turned down by King John of Portugal and the rulers of England and France. After several years of being declined, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella funded Columbus’ voyage
The immediate cause of the European voyages of discovery was the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. While Egypt and Italian city-state of Venice was left with a monopoly on ottoman trade for spices and eastern goods it allowed Portugal and Spain to break the grip by finding an Atlantic route. Portugal took the lead in the Atlantic exploration because of the reconquest from the Muslims, good finances, and their long standing seafaring traditions. In dealing with agriculture, The Portuguese discovered Brazil on accident, but they concentrated on the Far East and used Brazil as a ground for criminals. Pernambuco, the first area to be settled, became the world’s largest sugar producer by 1550. Pernambuco was a land of plantations and Indian slaves. While the market for sugar grew so did the need for slaves. Therefore the African Slave start became greatly into effect. Around 1511 Africans began working as slaves in the Americas. In 1492, Columbus embarked on his voyage from Spain to the Americas. The Euro...
Benito Mussolini’s major problem was that he was twisted in the mind. Mussolini really thought he could change Italy by using violence, which was wrong thinking. I do not personally think it is all Mussolini’s fault because it was the way he grew up. Do not get me wrong he was raised in a household were abuse was going on but his father did not show him any type of affection. I believe that if Benito’s father would have showed him love and told him be a wise person he would have been better off in my opinion. However, since that did not happen Benito had to put this façade on for the public to mask his insecurities, and his darkest thoughts. I think that Benito would have been able to fix this if he would have had good men friends to teach him the ways of being a powerful figure without beating people over the head to make his point.
As a fascist leader, the actions that were taken and decisions that were made by Benito Mussolini such as creating a fascist government, the execution of Jews, and leading Italy into World War II during his time in power resulted in him having negative effects on Italy.
Another great navigator from Portugal was Henry the navigator, he was the prince of Portugal who began to establish an observatory and also a school of navigation, and he also directed many long voyages that ignited the growth of Portugal’s colonial empire.
Latin America’s independence kicked of with the independence of Haiti. Before the the independence movement that overtook Latin America, Haiti had gained independence twenty years before the movement. The Spanish Empire had been in decline for a period of time after the rise of the English empire and many failed battles on the Spanish (class notes). The French Revolution and the American Revolution had inspired many of the Latin American countries to fight for independence (Chapter 3). They were inspired by the Enlightenment that washed over Europe. Of the inspired, one man stood out and took the movement by heart.
Immediately following the war with Spain, the United States had both the political will to pursue imperial policies and the geopolitical circumstances conducive to doing so. But the way in which these policies would manifest was an open question; was the impulse to actively remake the world in America’s Anglo-Saxon image justified? Hence, there were several models of American imperialism at the turn of the twentieth century. In the Philippines, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Samoa, the United States asserted unwavering political control. In Cuba, and later throughout most of the Caribbean basin, the economic and political domination of customarily sovereign governments became the policy. Ultimately, the United States was able to expand its territory
The U.S. was not justified in invading Cuba through the Bay of Pigs Invasion in April 1961, because it conflicted with the internal affairs of a sovereign nation. Fidel Castro rose to power through guerilla warfare and Americans hated him because of his perceived communist leanings. Americans were concerned with the Russians aiding the Cubans during the Cold War. As Fidel Castro led Cuba, he instituted a socialistic government that drastically changed Cuba from when the dictator Batista was in office. Castro visited the USA three times during the late 1940’s up to the early 1960’s. The first visit, in 1949, was to New York City on his honeymoon where he studied English and bought a Lincoln car. His second visit, in 1959, after he defeated Batista was public relations tour under the guise of being asked to speak to the American Newspaper Editors conference in New York City. Before the trip he conferred with a public relations firm for how to polish his image. He continually said he was not a communist, “Never was and never will be.” ( page 16, Jim Rasenberger} He ran into the crowds of thousand admiring fans, and developed a love affair with the American people. His third trip, 1960, cast a black shadow over his friendship with the USA, with a venomous United Nations speech coordinated with Soviet premier, Nikita Krushchev. Castro and Cuba was considered the nearest threat to the economic interests of the USA, only 90 miles off shore. The CIA under President Dwight D. Eisenhower began planning an elaborate invasion plan. The CIA plan was supposed to be covert and fool proof, but the battle plans were leaked to Castro who knew about the invasion site and the Guatemala training site of the ‘Brigade’ Cuban exiles. On April 17, 196...
The decline and the disappearance of traditional monarchies in the 19th and 20th century has paved for other individuals and/or groups to rule. The three main dictators of World War II were Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Benito Mussolini. The pursuit to gain over cultural, economic, and political factors of people and land are the main goals of the dictators. To achieve their goals, they eliminate anything and anyone that gets in their way.
Spain was once of the powerful nations in Europe. However, by the 20th century it was poor and backwards country where corruption was experienced on a commonly basis. After losing its overseas possessions Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico and Philippines during the Spanish-American War Spain was in a state of political tension due extreme measures of wealth, poverty and clearly social tensions. Essentially Spain was a deeply divided country during this time although it was a constitutional monarchy during 1920. During this year King Alfonso XIII remained as the royal figurehead however, Miguel Primo de Rivera was the dictator. The tension was between the right-wing Nationalists and left-wing Republican parties. The nationalist’s party was made up of monarchists, landowners, employers, the Roman Catholic Church and the army. The Republicans consisted of the workers, trade unions, socialists, and peasants. The nationalists were described as traditionalists and fascists, while the republicans were socialists and communists. The real political tension started occurring post 1930 when growing opposition to Miguel Primo de Rivera right-wing government started growing rapidly and leading to his resignation. Miguel Primo de Rivera was not able to solve Spain’s financial disaster from the result of the Great Depression, where unemployment rates increased drastically and Rivera never provided any solutions. Miguel was so unsuccessful throughout his dictatorship even the army refused to support his dictatorship. This then concluded in republican receiving the majority of the election votes, throwing out King Alfonso XIII the following year. The abdication of the King was the turning point; where Spain was now considered the Republic of Spa...