[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 8, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING CRISSIA REAY, WINNER OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST

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                        HON. DONALD A. MANZULLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 8, 1997

  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted today to extend my 
sincerest congratulations to 15-year-old Crissia Reay of Wonder Lake, 
IL. Crissia is the winner of the National Youth Essay Contest for her 
essay comparing the lives and voyages of explorers Christopher Columbus 
and Amerigo Vespucci. The contest is sponsored by the National Italian 
American Foundation and the Daughters of the American Revolution. 
Crissia's essay was selected from hundreds of entries from across the 
country. As a well-deserved reward for her dedication and hard work, 
Crissia will receive a $1,000 prize and a trip to Washington, DC later 
this month where she will participate in ceremonies honoring Columbus 
by reading aloud her winning essay.
  I am proud to have Crissia as one of my constituents. Her 
accomplishment reflects a love of learning and the discipline and 
motivation to accept a challenge and meet with success. I join with 
Crissia's parents, relatives, teachers, and friends in commending her 
and her remarkable achievement. Crissia's winning essay, entitled 
``Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci: The Men and Their 
Discoveries,'' appears below.

     Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci: The Men and Their 
                              Discoveries

                        (by Crissia Ahnna Reay)

       Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci were both 
     explorers, born in the same country in the same time frame, 
     but there the similarities end. They were worlds apart from 
     each other in their personal lives and significant 
     differences were also visible in their voyages.
       Columbus was born Cristoforo Colombo near Genoa, Italy in 
     1451. His father was a weaver and Columbus' family were 
     humble, common folk. He had very little schooling in his 
     early life. Bordering on illiterate when he left his home in 
     Italy, he learned to read and write in Portugal. Vespucci was 
     born in Florence, Italy in 1454. However, his early life was 
     very different from Columbus' owing to the fact that Vespucci 
     was born into a noble Florentine family. Vespucci was 
     described as having a ``sagacious'' (scientific) mind and was 
     educated in the areas of commercial science, cosmology, 
     astronomy and geography. Consequently, we can understand why 
     money and titles were so important to Columbus, while they 
     seemed to play a lower key role in Vespucci's life and 
     explorations. Having grown up with a common, almost low 
     background, explains why Columbus felt that land, titles and 
     wealth were symbols of success. Whereas, Vespucci's affluent 
     background sheds light as to why he didn't seem driven to 
     obtain those symbols of success and could explore for the 
     simple quest of knowledge without stipulating what he must 
     receive in return (as Columbus felt he must).
       Columbus made four voyages to the new world, Vespucci only 
     two that can be proven. In his explorations Columbus visited 
     mainly the islands of the West Indies, San Salvador, Cuba, 
     Jamaica and what is now modern day Mexico; touching only 
     lightly on the continent of South America. Vespucci mainly 
     explored and charted the eastern coastline of South America 
     (from this experience, he concluded that it extended too far 
     and couldn't be Asia). Columbus was interested in settling 
     the places he found, Vespucci in mapping them.
       There are other important discoveries that came from their 
     journeys that are rarely mentioned. Columbus found the most 
     efficient way to use the North Atlantic wind system for 
     transatlantic sailing. He was the first to notice the 
     equatorial current and made the first observations of the 
     westerly compass variation. It was because of Vespucci that 
     people found out that there were two oceans separating Europe 
     from Asia instead of one. He created his own method of 
     celestial navigation by which he obtained longitude and came 
     within 50 miles of being correct in his estimation of the 
     earth's circumference one of the closest guesses of that 
     time.
       Columbus and Vespucci were both undoubtedly great men. 
     Their voyages, although each holding its own different 
     significance, greatly complement one another. Columbus 
     (though unable to claim title as the first European setting 
     foot on the Americas due to previous Icelandic adventurers) 
     was the first to make the discovery stick. In that essence 
     Columbus discovered the new world. Columbus was the rock that 
     started the landslide of exploration and settlement of the 
     Americas. Vespucci, picking up where Columbus left off, was 
     the one to conclude that it was not Asia that his predecessor 
     had found (Columbus died thinking it was) but it was indeed a 
     new, previously unknown land. In Vespucci's own words. 
     ``These regions we may rightly call Mundus Novus, a New 
     World, because our ancestors had no knowledge of them.''
       Vespucci actually outfitted and helped prepare far more 
     voyages than he was part of himself. In fact, it was in that 
     way he and Columbus first met. In collaboration with Berardi, 
     a ship builder in Seville, Vespucci prepared a ship for 
     Columbus' second voyage in 1493. In 1498, he and Columbus 
     first became personally acquainted when Vespucci made even 
     more ships for Columbus' third voyage.
       Though there was much friction between their supporters, 
     there is nothing to suggest any personal rivalry on the parts 
     of these two renowned explorers. In fact, towards the end of 
     Columbus' life when he was ailing and virtually deserted, he 
     found in Vespucci a caring, sympathetic friend. This is 
     apparent in the words Columbus wrote of Vespucci a year 
     before Columbus' death in 1506. ``He has at all times shown a 
     desire to serve me, and is an honorable man.''
       Whatever else is said about them, one thing remains 
     outstanding and undeniable; they were bold and courageous 
     explorers, who made remarkable discoveries that have 
     permanently changed the face of the world's geography and in 
     a great part shaped the history of the world that followed 
     after.

     

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