Amerigo Vespucci was the first to know that he was on a new continent...not Asia
Amerigo Vespucci was the first one to know that Christoher Columbus did not land in Asia and that he had landed on a whole new continent, which is now North America. America was named after Amerigo Vespucci because he knew the land that he was on was not Asia. That is why North and South America was named after Amerigo Vespucci. Unfortunately, America did not appear on the maps until 1507.