European Explorers

conquered the aztecs and claimed mexico for spain

hernan cortez

led a series of 7 huge maritime expeditions for China

Zheng He

first European to reach Brazil

Pedro Alvares Cabral

established a sea route to India, connecting Atlantic and Indian Oceans

Vasco da Gama

first European to have reached the Pacific from the New World

Vasco Nunez de Balboa

conquered the Inca and established Spanish rule in Peru

Francisco Pizarro

sponsored a lot of maritime exploration along the coast of Africa

Prince Henry the Navigator

first European to reach Florida, claiming it for Spain

Juan Ponce de Leon

first to sail around southern tip of Africa, creating a sea trade route to Asia

Bartolomeu Dias

explored the northeastern waterways of North America

Henry Hudson

mapped the st. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, claiming it for the French

Jacques Cartier

identified the Americas as a new continent and named them after himself

Amerigo Vespucci

commanded an expedition to India, which was plagued by a series of misfortunes

Pedro Alvares Cabral

made Portugal wealthy

Vasco da Gama

participated in the early Atlantic slave trade

prince henry

assembled a team of experts to design and improve different inventions

prince henry

sponsored the development of the Portuguese caravel ship

prince henry

associated with the fountain of youth

juan ponce de leon

proved that the atlantic and indian oceans connected

bartolomeu dias

mapped the arctic and discovered rich whaling grounds there

henry hudson

mapping of the ny harbor led to the dutch settlement of NYC

henry hudson

named canada

jacques cartier

first European to reach montreal

jacques Cartier

helped establish the first european settlement in canada

jacques cartier

created a method for determining longitude at sea

amerigo vespucci

who sailed to the southern tip of africa

martolomeu dias

who sailed to India by rounding the Cape of good hope (going around the bottom of Africa)

vasco da gama

who reached south America (Brazil) and inspired a mapmaker to name the new continent

amerigo vespucci

who reached the Pacific by going through panama

vasco Nunez de balboa

who sailed around the world, proving that the world was much bigger than expected

ferdinand magellan

who came up with the name “brazil”

pedro cabral

who found present day new York harbor

giovanni verrazano

who found present day montreal

jacques cartier

who found present day quebec

samuel champlain

who sailed down the Mississippi and claimed southern regions for france

robert lasalle

who made the first English claim in north america

john cabot

who set up the failed colony of roanoke

sir Walter raleigh

who was the first englishman to sail around the world

francis drake

who was an Englishman who tried to find the northwest passage

henry hudson