New World Explorers

Leif Eriksson

Norse Viking, explored around 1000 A.D. After being blown off course, he landed in North America rather than Greenland.

John Cabot

Explored for England around 1497-1498. His expedition was the first European expedition to set foot on North America after the Vikings.

Giovanni da Verrazzano

Explored for France around 1524-1528. Explored the Atlantic Coast, and was eaten by cannibals or executed by the Spanish.

Jacques Cartier

Explored for France in 1534-1542. Claimed Canada for France and mapped the St. Lawrence River.

Francis Drake

Explored for England from 1578-1580. Led the first English expedition to circumnavigate for Queen Elizabeth I.

Samuel de Champlain

Explored or France from 1603-1616. He mapped the Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes, and founded Quebec.

Henry Hudson

Explored for England and the Netherlands from 1607-1611. Explored the Hudson River and Hudson Bay while looking for the Northwest Passage.

Robert la Salle

Explored for France from 1679-1687. He claimed the regions watered by the Mississippi River for France, and named the land Louisiana after King Louis XVI.

James Cook

Explored for England around 1768-1799. During his 3 voyages, he mapped the lands from New Zealand to Hawaii. Died in fight with Native Hawaiians.

Prince Henry

From Portugal (1418-1460. Not sailor nor navigator, but rather a sponsor for the explorations that established Europe’s first colonies.

Bartolomeu Dias

Explored for Portugal from 1487-1488. First to sail around southern tip of Africa, Cape of Good Hope.

Christopher Columbus

Explored for Spain from 1492-1502. Made 4 voyages across Atlantic. “Discovered” a New World but thought he was going to India.

Vasco da Gama

Explored for Portugal from 1497-1499. Traveled 24,000 miles to discover the first sea route from Europe to Asia.

Amerigo Vespucci

Explored for Spain and Portugal from 1499-1504. Explored South America and declared it was a new continent and not the outskirts of Asia.

Ponce de Leon

Explored for Spain from 1508-1513. Explored Puerto Rico and Florida, searched for the Fountain of Youth.

Vasco de Balboa

Explored for Spain from 1510-1519. Crossed the Isthmus of Panama. Claimed the Pacific Ocean and its shores for Spain.

Hernan Cortes

Explored for Spain from 1519-1524. Conquered the Aztecs and made Spain very wealthy.

Ferdinand Magellan

Explored for Spain from 1519-1522. Led first expedition to circumnavigate the world. Killed in Philippines in 1522, crew finished journey.

Hernando de Soto

Explored for Spain from 1532-1542. His expedition the Southeastern United States and discovered the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Francisco Pizarro

Explored for Spain in 1532. He and his men conquered the Incas and made Spain very wealthy.

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

Explored for Spain from 1540-1542. He was one of the first to explore the American West, and made contact with the Pueblo Indians and discovered the Grand Canyon.