Vespucci made four main voyages across the Atlantic in his lifetime. May 10, 1497, he embarked on his first journey, departing from Cadiz with a fleet of Spanish ships. The letter shows that the ships sailed through the West Indies and made their way to the mainland of Central America within approximately five weeks. If the letter is real, this would mean that Vespucci discovered Venezuela a year before Christopher Columbus did. In May of 1499, sailing under the Spanish flag, Vespucci embarked on his next expedition, as a navigator under the command of Alonzo de Ojeda. Crossing the equator, they traveled to the coast of what is now Guyana, where it is believed that Vespucci left Ojeda and went on to explore the coast of Brazil. On this journey Vespucci discovered the Amazon river and Cape st. Augustine. On May 14, 1501, Vespucci departed on another voyage across the Atlantic. This is thought to have been his most successful voyage. He began to map the new continent, America. That was Vespucci's last journey that made any new discoveries.
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