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John Cabot

English explorer who claimed Newfoundland for England while looking for Northwest Passage (First European in N. America since Vikings)

Jacques Cartier

French explorer who explored the St. Lawrence river and laid claim to the region for France (1491-1557)

Samuel de Champlain

French explorer in Nova Scotia who established a settlement on the site of modern Quebec (1567-1635)

Henry Hudson

An English explorer who explored for the Dutch. He claimed the Hudson River around present day New York and called it New Netherland. He also had the Hudson Bay named for him

Walter Raleigh

Received a charter from Queen Elizabeth I to explore the American coastline. His ships landed on Roanoke, which became a "lost colony."

Conquistadores

Spanish 'conqueror' or soldier in the New World. They were searching for the 3-G's: gold, God, and glory. (told they could keep land that they conquered + N.W. land = social status)

Hernan Cortes

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico (1485-1547)

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish explorer who conquered the Incas in what is now Peru and founded the city of Lima (1475-1541).

St. Augustine

1st colony in Florida set up by Spain

New Spain

After the defeat of the Aztecs, it was a Spanish colony. Its capital was Mexico City.

The Lost Colony

The colony of Walter Raleigh, as well as the first venture to North America by the British on the Carolina Coast. Raleigh went back to England and on return the colony went missing.