Episode Details

Why do we live in the "Americas" rather than the "Columbias"? In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life of Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512), the enigmatic Florentine explorer who recognized what Christopher Columbus did not: that the lands across the Atlantic were a distinct "New World" and not Asia,.

We trace Vespucci’s journey from a well-connected business agent for the Medici family in Renaissance Florence to a merchant in Seville, where he managed the provisioning of ships for the West Indies,. We discuss his transition from commerce to exploration, detailing his voyages under the flags of Spain and Portugal, where he realized the South American coast constituted a previously unknown fourth continent,.

The episode also dives into the massive historical controversy known as the "Vespucci Question". We examine:

• The 1507 Waldseemüller map that first applied the name "America" in his honor,.
• The dispute over the authenticity of his letters—specifically the sensational Soderini letter versus the Mundus Novus—and whether publishers forged accounts to boost sales,.
• The backlash from historians and figures like Ralph Waldo Emerson, who famously dismissed Vespucci as a "thief" and "pickle dealer" who managed to get "half the world baptized with his dishonest name".

Join us as we determine whether Vespucci was a charlatan who stole the spotlight or a master navigator who earned his title as Spain’s Pilot Major (piloto mayor).