Waldseemüller's Map Analysis

778 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on the age of exploration

With the world starting to become globalized, this began a period known as the Age of Exploration. The Age of Exploration began in the early fifteenth century with the goals of finding new people to trade with, new commodities and new trading routes to Asia. Explorer Christopher Columbus was the first to sail west to find a trade route to Asia but instead found the New World. More explorers like Amerigo Vespucci, traveled west to witness the New World and the information these explorers brought back with them led to the creation of the first known map to use the word America in reference to the New World, created by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller in 1507. Waldseemüller was the first to create a map of the New World, but little did he know that his map is not precisely correct. By looking at Waldseemüller’s map, I can tell that European knowledge of the world in the early sixteenth century was very limited and not very accurate. Waldseemüller created his map based off the information from Ptolemy’s map and the information he gained from explorers about the New World, but the …show more content…

The continent of Europe, he got correct because it was the area he had the most information and knowledge on and being from and living in Europe, he can witness the land for himself which allows him to accurately outline the continent on his map. The continent of Africa was accurately portrayed on his map because Africa was extensively explored during the beginning of the Age of Exploration by Portuguese explorers like Bartolomeu Dias, who sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa. With numerous explorers probing Europe and Africa, it gave Waldseemüller enough geographic information to outline both continents correctly. Waldseemüller was also correct in predicting a new ocean by showing the continent of South America separated from Asia which shows that it’s the Pacific

Show More
Related

  • Societies in The New England and Chesapeake Regions

    1010 Words  | 3 Pages

    After the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the powerful Old World scrambled to colonize it. The three major nations involved in this were Spain, France, and England. Spain took more to the south in the Central American and Mexico areas while France went north in the Canada region. The English came to America and settled in both the New England and Chesapeake area. Although the people in these regions originated from the same area, the regions as a whole evolved into different societies because of the settlers’ purpose for coming to America and the obstacles faced in both nature and with the natives.

    Read More

  • Settling of America (1620's -1670's)

    749 Words  | 2 Pages

    Christopher Columbus discovered the America’s for Spain in 1492. The explorers and settlers that settled in Central and South America were mostly Spanish and Portuguese. The English took notice of the Spanish success in the America’s, so they decided to explore the upper part of the America’s, North America, in the late 1500’s.

    Read More

  • Roanoke Essay

    666 Words  | 2 Pages

    This all began when Sir Walter Raleigh, a wealthy courtier, sought-after permission from Queen Elizabeth I to establish a colony in North America. On March 25th 1584 he got a charter to start the colony. Raleigh funded and authorized the expedition .He sent two explorers by the names of Phillip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe to claim land for the queen,they departed on the west side of England on April 27th . On May 10 they arrived at the Canaries, a series of islands near the northwest coast of mainland Africa. They arrived at the West Indies on June 10 and stayed there for twelve days then left. On July 4 the explorers saw North American land, they sailed for nine days more looking for an entryway to the sea or river and found one on June 13th. They then set off to explore the land and place it on the map . After they went back two additional journeys there followed after. One group arrived in 1585 and went there for...

    Read More

  • Printing Press Dbq Essay

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Exploration Era was a time period when countries and people made journeys overseas to find “the New World.” With the help of the printing press, the discoveries of the Americas were known globally making people curious to explore it themselves. In the map “Distribution of Columbus’ Letter” (Document D), it shows where the letter was published and where it was translated to different. This is due to the printing press. Along with the many documents, the news of Christopher Columbus’ discoveries of “India” or the New World had sparked the curiosity of people all over the world. People became more interested in geography and seeing what’s out there along with the different resources. The New World discovery opened up a new trade route and different trade items. This would create pros and cons like economic growth and slavery. In addition the exploration of the Europeans helped us gain knowledge and get a picture of the Americas. In the “Henricus Martellus’ World Map, 1489” (Document E), it shows the world as they knew it with Europe, Africa, and Asia. The “Martin Waldseemuller's World Map, 1507” was an updated, more correct version of the world we see today. Waldseemuller’s map includes the Americas and was much bigger than Martellus’. The printing press had helped Waldseemuller use this new knowledge to create a map that would depict something

    Read More

  • Expansion of western europe

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the mid 1400’s Spain and Portugal began to take separate routes of discovery. Prince Henry of Portugal, in reaction to the shortage of bullion in Western Europe, was interested in sending his captains to the African coast in search of gold. As a result, many Portuguese ports were established along the African coast and “The Portuguese were able to exploit at least a part of the African caravan trade they had sought.” (p.340) While Portugal was focused on expansion along the African coast; the Spanish were the first to discover the “new world” despite the lack of geographical knowledge the Spaniards and Columbus in particular possessed. This “new world” wasn’t quite what Columbus had though it was, however; as Columbus maintained to his death that he had reached Asia. He hadn’t, “He had landed at one of the Bahaman Islands, San Salvador.” (p. 342) Columbus’ distorted reality proved to...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Daniel Boorstin's The Discoverers

    1458 Words  | 3 Pages

    Like the Arabs, the Europeans sometimes let their religion come between them and the truth. The best example of this is what Boorstin refers to as the “Great Interruption,” a time in the Middle Ages where theological, rather than geographical, accuracy was prioritized in mapmaking. Rather than continuing the work of Ptolemy and refining his rectangular coordinate system, cartographers “spent their energies embroidering a neat, theologically appealing picture of what was already known, or was supposed to be known.” (Boorstin, 100) Maps depicted the world as a circular disc divided into three parts, the three parts being the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe, separated by a T-shaped flow of water. Jerusalem was always in the center of the maps; the justification came from a verse in Ezekiel saying that God had placed Jerusalem in the midst of the nations, which was interpreted literally. Allowing Christian dogma to determine the shape of the earth was a major failing in Boorstin’s eyes; nevertheless, the episode was only an “interruption,” and Europe eventually resumed discovery. Firstly, Boorstin credits the west for the modern clock and calendar. Although earlier versions of clocks from other parts of the world are mentioned, the author focuses primarily on the contributions of westerners to its development. When missionary

    Read More

  • Three Explorers From The Age Of Exploration Essay

    851 Words  | 2 Pages

    Age of Explorations was a time of discovery of the new world during the 15th through 17th century. Many Explorers were in search for new passage ways, new trading ports, new land, new spices, and riches. The three explorers discussed in this paper is Henry Hudson, Jacques Cartier, and Francisco Pizarro. Henry Hudson was an explorer whose main purpose was to find a route to Asia from Europe, he had a series of three voyages trying to achieve this. Jacques Cartier was sent to find riches and a route to Asia as well. Francisco Pizarro served on an expedition, which he discovered the Pacific Ocean.

    Read More

  • history 111

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    European states started embarking on a sequence of worldwide explorations that marked a new period in the world during the start of the 15th century. This period was called the Age of Exploration and it extended to the early 17th century, allowing Western Europe to venture to places like Africa, America and the Far East. This period is defined by figures like Ferdinand Magellan, the first to go crosswise the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean as well as the first to go around the globe.

    Read More

  • Essay On Four Color Theorem

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ever since the beginning of travel and exploration, maps have helped people record the specifics of new and unexplored regions of the earth. The earliest maps were crudely drawn by hand and were rough estimates of geographic area based on interpretation of the land. Once people began coloring maps, to designate partitions within regions, the problem arose regarding the necessary number of colors it would take to color a map.

    Read More

  • Who Is Amerigo Vespucci Responsible For Theorization Of America?

    265 Words  | 1 Pages

    Vespucci's fleet sailed down the coasts of present-day Brazil and Argentina, explored into the major rivers of the area and, observed the stars visible in the night sky. When he returned to Portugal in July of 1502, Vespucci announced the lands to the west were not Asia, but a different continent altogether. Vespucci’s theory was published all over Europe. He was made pilot-major for Spain, and oversaw the training and licensing of Spanish pilots. He was also made responsible of managing the Spanish Crown's collection of maps and atlases. Overseeing Spain's library of maps and geographical books preserved this valuable information for later generations. Most notably, Amerigo Vespucci's name lives on in the names of the two American continents

    Read More

  • Cinnamon Research Paper

    308 Words  | 1 Pages

    The most challenging thing about completing this project sounds silly but it was actually finding a world map at a store. My mom and I went to so many different ones and apparently, no one had them in stock, but we finally found one at Hobby

    Read More

  • The Vinland Map

    2810 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Vinland Map has been at the center of controversy ever since it appeared around 1957. It depicts several islands in the Atlantic Ocean, but more importantly, an island called Vinland. This island is believed to be part of Canada or even Northeastern America. If the map is truly genuine, then it pre-dates Columbus’ discovery of America by more than 50 years (Gorman, 2002). However, there has been constant doubt surrounding its origins and authenticity. These issues have divided scientists into two camps which seem to ride circles around one another. As soon as new evidence arises, someone disputes it with counterarguments that are just as strong. The controversy has focused most recently on two issues: the ink used to draw the map, and the parchment that it is drawn upon.

    Read More

  • Positive Impact Of Christopher Columbus

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    On October 14, 1492, Christopher Columbus founded the New World, sparking one of the biggest domino effects in history, and changing the world forever. Columbus 's expedition led to the discovery of the vast natural resources of America, such as precious metals, vast expansive woods, and nutrient rich soil perfect for growing crops and raising livestock. Whenever there are large quantities of resources found, it is not long before colonization follows. This spawned a period of competition for territory, resources, and colonization in the Americas. Columbus was not the first person to discover the Americas. Chinese merchants and Vikings had already been to the Americas, as well as the indigenous people who lived there. He was the first person

    Read More

  • Influences Of The Renaissance Upon The Founding Of America

    498 Words  | 1 Pages

    The most posing problems with the set routes to Asia, which went around the Cape of Good Hope and along the coast of Africa, were that it was very dangerous due to enemy colonies along the route and was also very long. These problems made some people, including Christopher Columbus, decide to turn to the west to find safer and faster routes to the riches of Asia. What they found was the Americas. Believing that he would reach Asia, Columbus accidentally found a new continent, full of new riches and unclaimed lands. All of this occurred near the end of the Renaissance, beginning with the founding of America in 1492, near the end of the 15th century.

    Read More

  • Deconstructing the Map: The Hereford World Map

    579 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Hereford World Map is the world’s oldest surviving map of the world; it was made in 1300, during the beginning of the Renaissance in Europe. There was a wider range of influences on mapping during the later medieval period. With an increase in exploration, Europe began to evolve into an international continent; widespread travel can be seen by the influences of the Islamic world on architecture. While map making in China had flourished in the 11th C, mapping was beginning to evolve in Europe. By around 1400 there was a peak in map making in Europe. There is evidence of the influence of Roman mapping on medieval maps in Europe. The Medieval world maps but together information from Roman sources to make the world maps in the middle ages known as the mappa mundi, meaning cloth of the world. These were cloth maps, and the name mappa mundi was widely used for them. These world maps were understood by historians as an attempt to show where countries were located, quite often they were not just geographical representations but they were also stories of the world. As knowledge of map making increased during the Renaissance, was a move for wider representations of information on maps. The map became a source of information on the animals and history of the different countries. This can be seen in The Hereford World Map, a map that gives a geometrical representation of the locations of the known countries of the world and also acted as an encyclopaedia of information on various types of animals and where in the world they came from.

    Read More

More about Waldseemüller's Map Analysis

Open Document