AP World History Explorers

Bartolomeu Dias

Portuguese explorer who rounded the Cape of Good Hope (Africa)

Pedro Alvares Cabral

Claimed Brazil for Portugal

Cristopher Columbus

Went from Spain to the Caribbean, Italian

Henry Hudson

Discovered what today is known as the Hudson River; sailed for the Dutch even though he was originally from England; tried to go northwest to North America.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa

First European to see the Pacific Ocean; Isthmus of Panama

Vasco da Gama

Went from Portugal to India

Amerigo Vespucci

Understood he was at a new world; America's namesake

Fardinand Magellan

Crew circumnavigated the globe

Sir Francis Drake

First Englishman to sail around the world; British "pirate"

Francisco Pizarro

Conquered the Incas in Peru

Jasques Cartier

The French navigator, sailed partway up the St.Lawrence River and claimed Canada for France

Ponce de Leon

Discovered Florida

John Cabot

English explorer who claimed Newfoundland for England while looking for Northwest Passage

Prince Henry the Navigator

Sent others to explore for him, made very first explorer school, first person to value exploring

Hernan Cortes

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico