Age of Exploration: European Explorers

Christopher Columbus, Bartolomeu Dias, Pedro Alvares Cabral, Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, Hernan Cortes, Francisco Pizarro

Christopher Columbus

1492: First European to cross the Atlantic; linked Old World and New World; funded by the Spanish Monarchy; wanted to find a trade route to Asia

Bartolomeu Dias

1488: First European to sail around the Southern Africa

Vasco da Gama

1497: First European to sail all the way to India (Calicut), established safe passage for Portugal to reach Asia

Pedro Alvares Cabral

1500: claimed Brazil for Portugal en route to India

Ferdinand Magellan

1519: First European to circumnavigate the world, led 5 ships with 250 men; died in the Philippines; only 1 ship with 18 men made it back to Spain

Hernan Cortes

1521: lead an expedition into Mexico, conquered the Aztec Empire

Francisco Pizarro

1532: lead expedition into South America, conquered the Inca Empire

Henry Hudson

1609: wanted to find a trade route to Asia via the Northwest Passage; explored the Hudson Bay/River in North America

Jacques Cartier

1534: Explored the St. Lawrence River; claimed Canada for France

Robert de La Salle

1673: explored the Mississippi River and claimed interior of North America for Canada

Francis Drake

1577: circumnavigated the globe for England, plundered Spanish/Portuguese ships