89-589: Coopers Town is a village in Abaco , the second largest island of the Bahamas . It has a population of 676, per the 2010 census. The town is the northernmost of the island's main centres of population. It was settled in the 1870s by the Albert Bootle family from Grand Bahama. Early industry included pineapple and sea-sponge harvesting, but both industries have dwindled over the last century. A major impediment to
178-531: A 'completely self-contained and fully self-supporting' territory under British jurisdiction. In August 1971, the British government refused to consider the petition. The September 1972 general election in The Bahamas showed a clear majority for independence across the country. However, on Abaco, the results were less clear-cut; the pro-independence Progressive Liberal Party won one of Abaco's two seats by
267-668: A Florentine diplomatic mission to Paris and invited his younger cousin, Amerigo Vespucci, to join him. Amerigo's role is not clear, but it was likely as an attache or private secretary. Along the way they had business in Bologna, Milan, and Lyon. Their objective in Paris was to obtain French support for Florence's war with Naples. Louis XI was noncommittal and the diplomatic mission returned to Florence in 1481 with little to show for their efforts. After his return from Paris, Amerigo worked for
356-593: A Franciscan habit in his wife's family tomb. Vespucci died on 22 February 1512. Upon his death, Vespucci's wife was awarded an annual pension of 10,000 maravedis to be deducted from the salary of the successor chief pilot. His nephew Giovanni was hired into the Casa de Contratación where he spent his subsequent years spying on behalf of the Florentine state. A few days ago I wrote you at some length about my return from those new regions we searched for and found with
445-661: A French translation of the Soderini letter as well as a Portuguese maritime map that detailed the coast of lands recently discovered in the western Atlantic. They surmised that this was the "new world" or the " antipodes " hypothesized by classical writers. The Soderini letter gave Vespucci credit for discovery of this new continent and implied that the Portuguese map was based on his explorations. In April 1507, Ringmann and Waldseemüller published their Introduction to Cosmography with an accompanying world map. The Introduction
534-468: A children's race, and a 5k/10k fun run/walk. The Abaco Club features an 18 hole championship golf course, designed by Donald Steel and Tom Mackenzie, which is home to Great Abaco Classic . Fishing, diving, snorkeling, and boating are available in the Abacos. Green Turtle Cay has an interactive Bahamas Pig Tour and Hope Town has a historic lighthouse. Restaurants and bars serving Bahamian food can be found in
623-492: A commercial representative on behalf of the fleet's investors. Years later, Ojeda recalled that "Morigo Vespuche" was one of his pilots on the expedition. The vessels left Spain on 18 May 1499 and stopped first in the Canary Islands before reaching South America somewhere near present-day Suriname or French Guiana . From there the fleet split up: Ojeda proceeded northwest toward modern Venezuela with two ships, while
712-511: A constant life feature on the islands. Sea island cotton was sown by the settlers in 1785, and although both 1786 and 1787 produced good crops, the 1788 crop was blighted by caterpillars. Other settlements on the islands were Green Turtle Cay , Man-o-War Cay , and Sandy Point . In the 1790s, a group of Loyalists from the Carolinas arrived on the islands via Florida, founding the isolated settlement of Cherokee Sound . Two slave ships from
801-566: A few years of Columbus's arrival, and they had all been removed from the Bahamas by 1520. After the extermination of the Lucayans, there were no known permanent settlements in the Bahamas for approximately 130 years. Spain laid claim to the Bahamas after Columbus discovered the islands but showed little interest in them. The Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci spent four months exploring the Bahamas in 1499–1500. Juan de la Cosa 's first map of
890-516: A few years of the publication of his two letters, the European public became aware of the newly discovered continents of the Americas. According to Vespucci: Concerning my return from those new regions which we found and explored...we may rightly call a new world. Because our ancestors had no knowledge of them, and it will be a matter wholly new to all those who hear about them, for this transcends
979-470: A handful of letters written by him or attributed to him. Historians have differed sharply on the authorship, accuracy and veracity of these documents. Consequently, opinions also vary widely regarding the number of voyages undertaken, their routes, and Vespucci's roles and accomplishments. Starting in the late 1490s Vespucci participated in two voyages to the New World that are relatively well-documented in
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#17327726292771068-435: A hostile band of natives who killed and ate one of its crewmen. Sailing south along the coast they found friendlier natives and were able to engage in some minor trading. At 23° S they found a bay which they named Rio de Janeiro because it was 1 January 1502. On 13 February 1502, they left the coast to return home. Vespucci estimated their latitude at 32° S but experts now estimate they were closer to 25° S. Their homeward journey
1157-568: A million maravedis in Columbus's first voyage, and he won a potentially lucrative contract to provision Columbus's large second fleet. However, profits proved to be elusive. In 1495, Berardi signed a contract with the crown to send 12 resupply ships to Hispaniola but then died unexpectedly in December without completing the terms of the contract. Vespucci was the executor of Berardi's will, collecting debts and paying outstanding obligations for
1246-652: A notary, while Girolamo entered the Church and joined the Knights Hospitaller in Rhodes. Amerigo's career path seemed less certain; instead of following his brothers to the university, he remained in Florence and was tutored by his uncle, Giorgio Antonio Vespucci, a Dominican friar in the monastery of San Marco . Fortunately for Amerigo, his uncle was one of the most celebrated humanist scholars in Florence at
1335-497: A plane crash on 25 August 2001, that claimed the lives of nine passengers, among them R&B singer Aaliyah . The cays can be reached by ferries. The southern cays can be reached from Marsh Harbour and another ferry leaves from the Treasure Cay ferry dock about a half-hour from Marsh Harbour by road. Ferry service is also to be found between Nassau and Sandy Point on the southern end of Great Abaco on weekends. Sandy Point
1424-617: A post which he held until his death in 1512. Vespucci was born on 9 March 1454 in Florence , a wealthy Italian city-state and a center of Renaissance art and learning, in the suburb of Peretola . Amerigo Vespucci was the third son of Nastagio Vespucci, a Florentine notary for the Money-Changers Guild, and Lisa di Giovanni Mini. The family resided in the District of Santa Lucia d'Ognissanti along with other families of
1513-666: A resolution in The Bahamas House of Assembly calling for a United Nations-supervised referendum on Abaco was easily defeated in June 1973, and The Bahamas became independent on 10 July 1973. In August 1973, shortly after The Bahamas became independent, the Abaco Independence Movement was formed as a political party whose stated aim was self-determination for Abaco within a federal Bahamas. Chuck Hall and Bert Williams created AIM. They sought support from
1602-587: A small majority and, by comparison, the Free National Movement (which opposed early independence) won the other chair by a large majority. Starting in December 1971, all-party talks took place in London, to draft a new constitution for The Bahamas. The Greater Abaco Council sent their representatives to London for a 'collateral conference' to run alongside the official talks. The British refused to consider granting Abaco independence ( secession ) from
1691-414: A small sandy harbor about six leagues north of Marsh Harbour near modern-day Treasure Cay. They planned and built the town of Carleton, named after Sir Guy Carleton. Disputes over food distribution and misinformation about the resources available led some of these settlers to found a rival town near Marsh Harbour called Maxwell. The conflict between disgruntled settlers and the officials responsible became
1780-734: A stop on their "Island in the Sun" cruise ship offering. Many Disney employees live in Sandy Point. There is no public access for tourists from shore. Also off shore and a little more to the north, lies Moore's Island . It has two settlements " Hard Bargain " and " The Bight ". Hole-in-the-Wall, which is the site of a lighthouse, may seem nearby but should be a trip unto itself and only in a 4-wheel-drive vehicle when coming from Marsh Harbour. The Abaco Islands have been long famous for shipbuilding . Their chief exports are lumber, fruit, and pearl shells. Crawfish ( Caribbean spiny lobster ) are exported to
1869-510: A time with his father and continued his studies in science. In 1482, when his father died, Amerigo went to work for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici , head of a junior branch of the Medici family. Although Amerigo was twelve years older, they had been schoolmates under the tutelage of Giorgio Antonio Vespucci. Amerigo served first as a household manager and then gradually took on increasing responsibilities, handling various business dealings for
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#17327726292771958-521: A very strong adverse current which they could not overcome. Forced to turn around, the ships headed north, retracing their course to the original landfall. From there Vespucci continued up the South American coast to the Gulf of Paria and along the shore of what is now Venezuela. At some point they may have rejoined Ojeda but the evidence is unclear. In the late summer, they decided to head north for
2047-460: Is Gorda Cay, now a Disney-owned island and cruise ship stop renamed Castaway Cay . Also in the vicinity is Moore's Island . On the Big Island of Abaco is Marsh Harbour , the Abacos' commercial hub and The Bahamas' third-largest city, plus the resort area of Treasure Cay . Both have airports. Mainland settlements include Coopers Town and Fox Town in the north and Cherokee and Sandy Point in
2136-427: Is Marsh Harbour. In addition to Marsh Harbour there are several other settlements on Great Abaco including Cherokee Sound , Coopers Town , Crossing Rock , Green Turtle Cay , Hope Town , Little Harbour , Rocky Point , Sandy Point , Spring City , Treasure Cay , Wilson City , and Winding Bay . Surrounding Great Abaco are several smaller islands known as cays , many of which are popular with tourists visiting
2225-467: Is a small settlement at the tip of southwest Abaco, Bahamas. It is the location of "Sandy Point Airport", which has yet to serve any regular scheduled carrier, and a new police station. Sandy Point also has a few shops, some churches and a few bonefish lodges. The annual "Homecoming and Conch Fest" is held around Bahamian Labour Day , the first Friday in June. In the 1990s, The Walt Disney Company bought Gorda Cay and renamed it Castaway Island and made it
2314-544: Is also known for its intact elkhorn and staghorn coral structures, and for a breed of feral horse, the Abaco Barb , which became extinct in 2015. Amerigo Vespucci Amerigo Vespucci ( / v ɛ ˈ s p uː tʃ i / vesp- OO -chee , Italian: [ameˈriːɡo veˈsputtʃi] ; 9 March 1454 – 22 February 1512) was an Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Florence for whom " America "
2403-484: Is just west of Great Abaco's northern tip. There are several smaller barrier cays , of which the northernmost are Walker's Cay and its sister island Grand Cay . To the south, the next inhabited islands are Spanish Cay and Green Turtle Cay , with its settlement of New Plymouth, Great Guana Cay , private Scotland Cay, Man-O-War Cay and Elbow Cay , with its settlement of Hope Town . Southernmost are Tilloo Cay and Lubbers Quarters. Also of note off Abaco's western shore
2492-471: Is known about her; Vespucci's will refers to her as the daughter of celebrated military leader Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba . Historian Fernández-Armesto speculates that she may have been Gonzalo's illegitimate offspring and a connection that would have been very useful to Vespucci. She was an active participant in his business and held power of attorney for Vespucci when he was away. The evidence for Vespucci's voyages of exploration consists almost entirely of
2581-471: Is named. Vespucci participated in at least two voyages of the Age of Discovery between 1497 and 1504, first on behalf of Spain (1499–1500) and then for Portugal (1501–1502). In 1503 and 1505, two booklets were published under his name containing colourful descriptions of these explorations and other voyages. Both publications were extremely popular and widely read throughout much of Europe. Historians still dispute
2670-521: Is perhaps the most controversial of Vespucci's voyages, as this letter is the only known record of its occurrence, and many historians doubt that it took place as described. Some question the authorship and accuracy of the letter and consider it to be a forgery. Others point to the inconsistencies in the narrative of the voyage, particularly the alleged course, starting near Honduras and proceeding northwest for 870 leagues (about 5,130 km or 3,190 mi)—a course that would have taken them across Mexico to
2759-566: Is the Soderini letter; but several modern scholars dispute Vespucci's authorship of that letter and it is uncertain whether Vespucci undertook this trip. There are also difficulties with the reported dates and details in the account of this voyage. By early 1505, Vespucci was back in Seville. His reputation as an explorer and navigator continued to grow and his recent service in Portugal did not seem to damage his standing with King Ferdinand. On
Coopers Town - Misplaced Pages Continue
2848-401: Is unclear since Vespucci left a confusing record of astronomical observations and distances travelled. In 1503, Vespucci may have participated in a second expedition for the Portuguese crown, again exploring the east coast of Brazil. There is evidence that a voyage was led by Coelho at about this time but no independent confirmation that Vespucci took part. The only source for this last voyage
2937-506: The Abaco archipelago, which have hosted fishing tournaments and regattas. The real estate sector has grown due to the growing tourism; Elbow Caw saw the most activity in 2018. The Abaco Islands boast important natural areas, especially important coral reef areas, barrier-island terrestrial habitats and large forests of Bahamian pine ( Pinus caribaea var. bahamensis ), some of which still contain old-growth trees. As development expands in
3026-617: The Abacos, local groups have begun to fight for the preservation of their natural resources, such as in the development case on Great Guana Cay . Species of birds include the Bahamian subspecies of Cuban amazon ( Amazona leucocephala bahamensis ), which exists only in Cuba , the Cayman Islands , the southern Bahamas and Abaco. This population is unique in that it nests in limestone solution cavities rather than tree cavities. Abaco
3115-504: The Atlantic they resupplied at Cape Verde , where they encountered Cabral on his way home from his voyage to India. This was the same expedition that had found Brazil on its outward-bound journey the previous year. Coelho left Cape Verde in June, and from this point Vespucci's account is the only surviving record of their explorations. On 17 August 1501 the expedition reached Brazil at a latitude of about 6° south. Upon landing it encountered
3204-639: The Bahamas without an escort. Ownership of the Bahamas passed back and forth between Spain and Great Britain for 150 years. A treaty was established in 1783 by Great Britain. Great Britain ceded East Florida to Spain, receiving the Bahamas in return. In 1783, a call for those wishing to help settle Abaco was published in the Royal Gazette in New York City. About 1500 Loyalists left New York and moved to Abaco in August 1783. The Loyalists settled on
3293-722: The Bahamians involved. These situations influenced the later revolt led by Madison Washington . In June 1971, the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Lynden Pindling , announced his government's independence from Britain. On Abaco, the Greater Abaco Council formed to lobby for continued British rule. In July 1971, the Greater Abaco Council submitted a petition to the Queen asking that Abaco become
3382-559: The British Parliament. A sympathetic MP , Ronald Bell , introduced an amendment that would have excluded Abaco from an independent Bahamas and have the islands remain a British colony. Defeated in the House of Commons and The Bahamas Independence Order, this amendment was approved on 22 May 1973. Three weeks later, a similar motion on Abaco was defeated in the House of Lords . A last-ditch attempt by Errington Watkins to pass
3471-623: The Florentine government, known as the Signoria ; and Nastagio also served in the Signoria and in other guild offices. More importantly, the Vespuccis had good relations with Lorenzo de' Medici , the powerful de facto ruler of Florence. Amerigo's two older brothers, Antonio and Girolamo, were sent to the University of Pisa for their education; Antonio followed his father to become
3560-526: The Latinized form "America" to a map showing the New World. Other cartographers followed suit, securing the tradition of marking the name "America" on maps of the newly discovered continents. It is unknown whether Vespucci was ever aware of these honours. In 1505, he was made a subject of Castile by royal decree, and he was appointed to the position of piloto mayor (master navigator) for Spain's Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) in Seville in 1508,
3649-473: The Magnaghi thesis (acknowledging that publishers probably tampered with Vespucci's writings) and declares all four voyages genuine, but differs from Arciniegas in details (particularly the first voyage). Samuel Morison (1974) flatly rejected the first voyage but was noncommittal about the two published letters. Felipe Fernández-Armesto (2007) calls the authenticity question "inconclusive" and hypothesizes that
Coopers Town - Misplaced Pages Continue
3738-540: The Medici business in Seville. In addition to managing Medici's trade in Seville, Berardi had his own business in African slavery and ship chandlery . By 1492 Vespucci had settled permanently in Seville. His motivations for leaving Florence are unclear; he continued to transact some business on behalf of his Medici patrons but more and more he became involved with Berardi's other activities, most notably his support of Christopher Columbus 's voyages. Berardi invested half
3827-427: The New World was secure. In 1513 Waldseemüller published a new map with the New World labelled "Terra Incognita" instead of "America", and the accompanying text names Columbus as discoverer. Many supporters of Columbus felt that Vespucci had stolen an honour that rightfully belonged to Columbus. Most historians now believe that Vespucci was unaware of Waldseemüller's map before his death in 1512 and many assert that he
3916-574: The New World, printed in 1500, shows the Abaco Islands with the name Habacoa. The Peter Martyr map , in the first edition of De Orbe Novo in 1511, shows the Bahamas' islands but does not name them. The Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León landed on Abaco in 1513. The Turin map of 1523 clearly shows Abaco, now named Iucayonique. The Turin map remained the most accurate map of the area until the Bahamas' first English maps were produced. Both John White's map of 1590 and Thomas Hood's map of 1592 show
4005-466: The Pacific Ocean. Certain earlier historians, including contemporary Bartolomé de las Casas , suspected that Vespucci incorporated observations from a later voyage into a fictitious account of this supposed first one, so as to gain primacy over Columbus and position himself as the first European explorer to encounter the mainland. Others, including scholar Alberto Magnaghi, have suggested that
4094-536: The Soderini letter was not written by Vespucci at all, but rather by an unknown author who had access to the navigator's private letters to Lorenzo de' Medici about his 1499 and 1501 expeditions to the Americas, which make no mention of a 1497 voyage. The Soderini letter is one of two attributed to Vespucci that were edited and widely circulated during his lifetime. In 1499, Vespucci joined an expedition licensed by Spain and led by Alonso de Ojeda as fleet commander and Juan de la Cosa as chief navigator. Their intention
4183-464: The Soderini letter was not written by Vespucci, but was cobbled together by unscrupulous Florentine publishers who combined several accounts – some from Vespucci, others from elsewhere. Magnaghi determined that the manuscript letters were authentic and based on them he was the first to propose that only the second and third voyages were true, and the first and fourth voyages (only found in the Soderini letter) were fabrications. While Magnaghi has been one of
4272-408: The Soderini letter was true. Other historians followed in support of Vespucci including John Fiske and Henry Harrisse . In 1924, Alberto Magnaghi published the results of his exhaustive review of Vespucci's writings and relevant cartography. He denied Vespucci's authorship of the 1503 Mundus Novus and the 1505 Letter to Soderini, the only two texts published during his lifetime. He suggested that
4361-708: The Spanish colony at Hispaniola in the West Indies to resupply and repair their ships before heading home. After Hispaniola they made a brief slave raid in the Bahamas , capturing 232 natives, and then returned to Spain. In 1501, Manuel I of Portugal commissioned an expedition to investigate a landmass far to the west in the Atlantic Ocean encountered unexpectedly by a wayward Pedro Álvares Cabral on his voyage around Africa to India. That land would eventually become present-day Brazil. The king wanted to know
4450-601: The Spanish crown. He continued his work as a chandler, supplying ships bound for the Indies. He was also hired to captain a ship as part of a fleet bound for the "spice islands" but the planned voyage never took place. In March 1508, he was named chief pilot for the Casa de Contratación or House of Commerce which served as a central trading house for Spain's overseas possessions. He was paid an annual salary of 50,000 maravedis with an extra 25,000 for expenses. In his new role, Vespucci
4539-514: The US Libertarian Party and an American financier named Michael Oliver , who through his libertarian Phoenix Foundation agreed to support AIM financially. Mitchell WerBell , an American arms dealer and mercenary, also supported AIM. His talk of an armed insurrection and attempts to recruit mercenaries to go to Abaco greatly discredited AIM. The Progressive Liberal Party victory in the 1977 general election effectively marked
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#17327726292774628-725: The United States, The Encomium and the Comet, wrecked off the coast of Abaco in December 1830 and 1834 respectively. The customs officers of Nassau seized the 165 slaves from the Comet and the 48 slaves from the Encomium, freeing them despite the protests of the crew. A later indemnity passed hands between the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States in 1855. The Hermosa, another slave ship, wrecked in Abaco in 1840. The slaves aboard were unilaterally emancipated by
4717-419: The United States. Pulpwood is shipped to a Florida plant for processing. Tourism is a major portion of the economy. Tourism has grown to the 300,000 visitors mark in 2019. This growth makes the Abacos the second most visited destination in The Bahamas. The reason for the recent increase in tourism is because of the waters. Boating, swimming, and fishing are popular activities in the islands and cays that make up
4806-514: The Vespucci clan. Earlier generations of Vespucci had funded a family chapel in the Ognissanti church, and the nearby Hospital of San Giovanni di Dio was founded by Simone di Piero Vespucci in 1380. Vespucci's immediate family was not especially prosperous but they were politically well-connected. Amerigo's grandfather, also named Amerigo Vespucci, served a total of 36 years as the chancellor of
4895-427: The authenticity of his two printed letters. Most authors believe that the three manuscript letters are authentic while the first voyage as described in the Soderini letter draws the most criticism and disbelief. A two-voyage thesis was accepted and popularized by Frederick J. Pohl (1944), and rejected by Germán Arciniegas (1955), who posited that all four voyages were truthful. Luciano Formisiano (1992) also rejects
4984-421: The authenticity of the three complete letters was convincingly demonstrated by Alberto Magnaghi in 1924. Most historians now accept them as the work of Vespucci but aspects of the accounts are still disputed. Vespucci has been called "the most enigmatic and controversial figure in early American history". The debate has become known among historians as the "Vespucci question". How many voyages did he make? What
5073-508: The authorship and veracity of these accounts, but they were instrumental in raising awareness of the discoveries and enhancing the reputation of Vespucci as an explorer and navigator. Vespucci claimed to have understood in 1501 that Brazil was part of a fourth continent unknown to Europeans, which he called the " New World ". The claim inspired cartographer Martin Waldseemüller to recognize Vespucci's accomplishments in 1507 by applying
5162-399: The belief that they had reached the eastern edge of Asia. Vespucci's reputation was perhaps at its lowest in 1856 when Ralph Waldo Emerson called Vespucci a "thief" and "pickle dealer" from Seville who managed to get "half the world baptized with his dishonest name". Opinions began to shift somewhat after 1857 when Brazilian historian Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen wrote that everything in
5251-401: The chief proponents of a two-voyage narrative, Roberto Levellier was an influential Argentinian historian who endorsed the authenticity of all Vespucci's letters and proposed the most extensive itinerary for his four voyages. Other modern historians and popular writers have taken varying positions on Vespucci's letters and voyages, espousing two, three, or four voyages and supporting or denying
5340-472: The contrary, the king was likely interested in learning about the possibility of a western passage to India. In February, he was summoned by the king to consult on matters of navigation. During the next few months he received payments from the crown for his services and in April he was declared by royal proclamation a citizen of Castile and León. From 1505 until his death in 1512, Vespucci remained in service to
5429-481: The damage in the Abaco Islands. 75 percent of the island's homes were damaged or destroyed. The total cost of Hurricane Dorian's impacts and effects on The Bahamas was $ 3.4 billion. As of October 18, 2019, there were 67 confirmed deaths as a result of Hurricane Dorian, with 282 people still missing. The damage also impacted the homes and assets of another 29,472 people. Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc on Grand Bahama and Abaco, with damaging winds and storm surges, as well as
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#17327726292775518-502: The end of the movement. On 1 September 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall on Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands at 16:40 UTC with winds of 185 mph (300 km/h) and wind gusts up to 225 mph (360 km/h), tying Dorian with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane as the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricane on record. There are reports of major damage throughout the islands which has been described as "catastrophic damage" and "pure hell". Hurricane Dorian caused 87 percent of
5607-550: The extent of this new discovery and determine where it lay in relation to the line established by the Treaty of Tordesillas . Any land that lay to the east of the line could be claimed by Portugal. Vespucci's reputation as an explorer and presumed navigator had already reached Portugal, and he was hired by the king to serve as pilot under the command of Gonçalo Coelho . Coelho's fleet of three ships left Lisbon in May 1501. Before crossing
5696-545: The family both at home and abroad. Meanwhile, he continued to show an interest in geography, at one point buying an expensive map made by the master cartographer Gabriel de Vallseca . In 1488, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco became dissatisfied with his Seville business agent, Tomasso Capponi. He dispatched Vespucci to investigate the situation and provide an assessment of a suggested replacement, Florentine merchant Gianotto Berardi. Vespucci's findings have been lost but Capponi returned to Florence around this time and Berardi took over
5785-497: The firm. Afterwards he was left owing 140,000 maravedis . He continued to provision ships bound for the West Indies, but his opportunities were diminishing; Columbus's expeditions were not providing the hoped-for profits, and his patron, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco Medici, was using other Florentine agents for his business in Seville. Sometime after he settled in Seville, Vespucci married a Spanish woman, Maria Cerezo. Very little
5874-462: The first voyage was probably another version of the second; the third is unassailable, and the fourth is probably true. Vespucci's historical importance may rest more with his letters (whether or not he wrote them all) than his discoveries. Burckhardt cites the naming of America after him as an example of the immense role of the Italian literature of the time in determining historical memory. Within
5963-461: The fleet, at the expense and by the command of the most serene King of Portugal, and which can properly be called a " New World ", since our forebears had absolutely no knowledge of it, nor do any of those who are hearing about it today...On 7 August 1501, we dropped our anchor off the shores of that new land, thanking God with solemn prayers and the celebration of the Mass. Once there, we determined that
6052-482: The historical record. Two others have been alleged but the evidence is more problematic. Traditionally, Vespucci's voyages are referred to as the "first" through "fourth", even by historians who dismiss one or more of the trips. A letter, addressed to Florentine official Piero Soderini , dated 1504 and published the following year, purports to be an account by Vespucci of a voyage to the New World, departing from Spain on 10 May 1497, and returning on 15 October 1498. This
6141-458: The hotels on Abaco Island. Marsh Harbour Airport (MHH) and Treasure Cay Airport (TCB) serve the needs of the Abacos, and all Abaco travel connects or originates in Florida or Atlanta. On the main island cars and boat rentals are available. On some of the cays, rental golf carts and boats are the main mode of transportation, along with bikes or scooters. Marsh Harbour Airport was the site of
6230-422: The island of New Providence. The $ 3.4 billion in damages, losses, and additional costs were split as follows: 72 percent damage, 21 percent losses, and 7% additional costs, with the private sector absorbing nearly 90 percent of total losses. Abaco was responsible for 87% of the losses and 76% of the damage. The combined population of the islands was about 17,224 as of 2010 , and the principal settlement and capital
6319-657: The islands are uninhabited. The Abaco Islands and their associated cays are the Out Islands, Family Islands, and Friendly Islands. The Abaco Islands were first inhabited by the Lucayans , who called the Abaco Islands Lucayoneque , meaning "the people’s distant waters". The first European settlers of the islands were Loyalists fleeing the American War of Independence who arrived in 1783, as
6408-568: The islands, as did a map produced in 1630 by the Dutchman de Laet. At this time, the Spanish empire in the Caribbean was focused on Havana. Spain regarded the now-depopulated Bahamas as unprofitable and treacherous to navigate;- in 1593, a Spanish fleet of 17 ships wrecked off the Abaco. Also, English and French pirates and freebooters had begun preying on Spanish vessels north of Cuba. A Spanish ordinance of 1561 forbade any merchant ship to enter
6497-636: The islands. A few notable cays include Castaway Cay (formerly Gorda Cay), Elbow Cay , the Grand Cays , Great Guana Cay , Green Turtle Cay, Man-O-War Cay , Moore's Island , Tilloo Cay, and Walker's Cay . The Bahamas National Trust maintains six national parks in the Abacos Islands. These are: The Great Abaco Family Fitness Weekend takes place every March in Treasure Cay, attracting both domestic and international tourism . The events include an open water swim, sprint and Olympic triathlons,
6586-608: The new land was not an island but a continent... Vespucci's voyages became widely known in Europe after two accounts attributed to him were published between 1503 and 1505. The Soderini letter (1505) came to the attention of a group of humanist scholars studying geography in Saint-Dié , a small French town in the Duchy of Lorraine . Led by Walter Lud, the academy included Matthias Ringmann and Martin Waldseemüller . In 1506, they obtained
6675-750: The other pair headed south with Vespucci aboard. The only record of the southbound journey comes from Vespucci himself. He assumed they were on the coast of Asia and hoped by heading south they would, according to the Greek geographer Ptolemy , round the unidentified "Cape of Cattigara " and reach the Indian Ocean . They passed two huge rivers (the Amazon and the Para ) which poured freshwater 25 miles (40 km) out to sea. They continued south for another 40 leagues (about 240 km or 150 mi) before encountering
6764-699: The rest of The Bahamas. The GAC accepted this, and the group ceased activity at the end of 1972. Shortly afterward, Errington Watkins , the Free National Movement representative for the Abaco-Marsh Harbour seat, formed a successor group called the Council for a Free Abaco . A second petition was organized and signed by half of the registered voters on the island. Errington Watkins took this petition to London in May 1973, hoping to influence The Bahamas Independence Order, then-debated in
6853-556: The south. Administratively, the Abaco Islands constitute seven of the 31 Local Government Districts of The Bahamas : Grand Cay , North Abaco , Green Turtle Cay , Central Abaco , South Abaco , Moore's Island and Hope Town . The Abaco Islands consist of limestone , with some elevation, and are protected on the Atlantic-facing sides by the third-largest barrier reef in the world. The cays are primarily made up of tidal mangrove swamps , as well as white-sand beaches. Most of
6942-532: The success of these industries was the lack of a natural harbour at Coopers Town. Prominent residents of Coopers Town have included the previous Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham , and sprinter Shavez Hart . This Bahamian location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Abaco Islands The Abaco Islands lie in the north of The Bahamas , about 193 miles (167.7 nautical miles or 310.6 km) east of Miami, Florida , US. The main islands are Great Abaco and Little Abaco, which
7031-470: The time and provided him with a broad education in literature, philosophy, rhetoric, and Latin. He was also introduced to geography and astronomy, subjects that played an essential part in his career. Amerigo's later writings demonstrated a familiarity with the work of the classic Greek cosmographers, Ptolemy and Strabo , and the more recent work of Florentine astronomer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli . In 1478, Guido Antonio Vespucci, Amerigo's other uncle, led
7120-436: The view held by our ancients, inasmuch as most of them hold that there is no continent to the south beyond the equator, but only the sea which they named the Atlantic and if some of them did aver that a continent there was, they denied with abundant argument that it was a habitable land. But that this their opinion is false and utterly opposed to the truth...my last voyage has made manifest; for in those southern parts I have found
7209-539: The world map were printed with the title Universal Geography According to the Tradition of Ptolemy and the Contributions of Amerigo Vespucci and Others . It was decorated with prominent portraits of Ptolemy and Vespucci and, for the first time, the name America was applied to a map of the New World. The Introduction and map were a great success and four editions were printed in the first year alone. The map
7298-465: Was a liar and stole the credit that was due Columbus. By 1600, most regarded Vespucci as an impostor and not worthy of his honours and fame. In 1839, Alexander von Humboldt after careful consideration asserted the 1497 voyage was impossible but accepted the two Portuguese-sponsored voyages. Humboldt also called into question the assertion that Vespucci recognized that he had encountered a new continent. According to Humboldt, Vespucci (and Columbus) died in
7387-575: Was also the Cat Island case. These original Loyalist settlers made a modest living by salvaging wrecks, by building small wooden boats, and basic farming. The Lucayans were the first people to inhabit the Abaco Islands. They were a branch of the Taínos who inhabited most of the Caribbean islands at the time. The Lucayans were the first inhabitants of the Americas encountered by Christopher Columbus . The Spanish started seizing Lucayans as slaves within
7476-410: Was his role on the voyages and what did he learn? The evidence relies almost entirely on a handful of letters attributed to him. Many historians have analysed these documents and have arrived at contradictory conclusions. In 1515, Sebastian Cabot became one of the first to question Vespucci's accomplishments and express doubts about his 1497 voyage. Later, Bartolomé de las Casas argued that Vespucci
7565-675: Was not even the author of the Soderini letter. Knowledge of Vespucci's voyages relies almost entirely on a handful of letters written by him or attributed to him. Two of these letters were published during his lifetime and received widespread attention throughout Europe. Several scholars now believe that Vespucci did not write the two published letters in the form in which they circulated during his lifetime. They suggest that they were fabrications based in part on genuine Vespucci letters. The remaining documents were unpublished manuscripts; handwritten letters uncovered by researchers more than 250 years after Vespucci's death. After years of controversy,
7654-580: Was responsible for ensuring that ships' pilots were adequately trained and licensed before sailing to the New World. He was also charged with compiling a "model map", the Padrón Real , based on input from pilots who were obligated to share what they learned after each voyage. Vespucci wrote his will in April 1511. He left most of his modest estate, including five household slaves, to his wife. His clothes, books, and navigational equipment were left to his nephew Giovanni Vespucci. He requested to be buried in
7743-450: Was to explore the coast of a new landmass found by Columbus on his third voyage and in particular investigate a rich source of pearls that Columbus had reported. Vespucci and his backers financed two of the four ships in the small fleet. His role on the voyage is not clear. Writing later about his experience, Vespucci gave the impression that he had a leadership role, but that is unlikely, due to his inexperience. Instead, he may have served as
7832-451: Was widely used in universities and was influential among cartographers who admired the craftsmanship that went into its creation. In the following years, other maps were printed that often incorporated the name America. In 1538, Gerardus Mercator used America to name both the North and South continents on his influential map. By this point the tradition of marking the name "America" on maps of
7921-510: Was written in Latin and included a Latin translation of the Soderini letter. In a preface to the Letter , Ringmann wrote I see no reason why anyone could properly disapprove of a name derived from that of Amerigo, the discoverer, a man of sagacious genius. A suitable form would be Amerige, meaning Land of Amerigo, or America, since Europe and Asia have received women's names. A thousand copies of
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