a pretty new video about a pretty old map

The Library of Congress held a special ceremony last year in which they dedicated the 1507 Waldseemuller World Map. The ceremony was attended by German Chancellor Merkel, who spoke as well. The video captures this as an historic moment because Germany was allowing us to acquire something that is so central to our history:

The 1507 world map by Martin Waldseemuller is often called "America's Birth Certificate," because it is the first document on which the name "America" appears. German Chancellor Angela Merkel officially transferred the map to the Library of Congress in April 2007. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer accepted the map on behalf of the U.S. government, and Merkel, Hoyer and Librarian of Congress James H. Billington delivered remarks at the ceremony. The Library of Congress had purchased the map for $10 million in 2003.

This map inspired the plot for The Perfect Fake. It also was one of the highlights of the tour of the LoC map vault. Although there was a contingent on the tour that was pretty excited by the old Sanborne map of Ebbets Field.