CELEBRATING THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST USE OF THE NAME ``AMERICA'' -- (House of Representatives - July 11, 2007)
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mrs,. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 287 which honors the 500th Anniversary of the name ``America.''
The story of the origin of our country's name is one of great discovery and dedication that embodies our national spirit.
On April 25, 1507 cartographer Martin Waldseemu 4ller of the research group Gymnasium Vosagense in Saint-Die, France changed the way Europeans perceived the world by first depicting the Western Hemisphere in his 1507 World Map. He labeled the land ``America,'' marking the first official use of the word. The only remaining copy of this map is housed next door in the Library of Congress.
Waldseemu 4ller named the land after Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci. Although explorers like Christopher Columbus already discovered what we now know to be the Western Hemisphere, Vespucci was the first to realize that it was not India but an entirely new continent.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the name ``America.'' Truly encompassing the American spirit, this name was derived from those challenging the status quo to improve our world and persevering in the face of doubt. Today we are not only honoring the name America but all Americans who have the great privilege of sharing this name and all it embodies.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT