Waldseemüller Map

Last July, I had the privilege of having the opportunity to view the Waldseemüller map on display at the Library of Congress. Waldseemüller’s map supported Vespucci’s revolutionary concept by portraying the New World as a separate continent, which until then was unknown to the Europeans. It was the first map, printed or manuscript, to depict clearly a separate Western Hemisphere, with the Pacific as a separate ocean. The map represented a huge leap forward in knowledge, recognizing the newly found American landmass and forever changing the European understanding of a world divided into only three parts—Europe, Asia, and Africa. As a cartographer, it was a honor and joy to see such a wonderful document.