We have seen a couple of plays that had a historical background, which triggered some ruminations about things of the past. For example, not many people know that this year marks the 501st anniversary of the naming of America. Going back 500 plus years always has the inherent danger of compromising accuracy, but it's generally acknowledged that America was named after one of its early explorers, Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci is credited with making one of the earliest - if not the first - accurate map of the new world, pointing out that in fact, the continent was not at all attached to India, as Columbus believed, but was a separate and unique land mass on its own.
It's a good thing they (whoever "they" were) decided to use the first name for the naming convention. Imagine if they had chosen the last name! We would live in Vespuccia!
Can you imagine singing - "God bless Vespuccia, land that I love" ?
Can you hear John Wayne saying "I am a Vespuccian - and proud of it".
Anti -protestors would rally around the slogan - "Vespuccia - love it or leave it!"
Thank goodness for small favors - often couched within events that may seem insignificant at the time, but eventually seem to take on gargantuan proportions. For example . . . Benjamin Franklin argued that the turkey should be considered as the national bird. His logic was flawless as witnessed in a letter he wrote berating the choice of the eagle - "He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him. "
And then he added this about the turkey - - - "For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."
If Franklin had prevailed our coins and currency would look considerably different and the inmortal words of Neil Armstrong as he landed on the moon would have been - "Houston - Tranquility Base here - the Turkey has landed" It was definitely one of Vespuccia's proudest moments.
