European Exploration of the Americas

Leif Ericson

From Norway; was the first European to reach North America

Marco Polo

Italian explorer who opened up trade routes to East India and China

Bartolomeu Dias

Portuguese explorer; first European to round the southern tip of Africa in 1488

Prince Henry

from Portugal; founded the creation of the caravel type of sailing ship

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer who sailed around the southern tip of Africa to reach India

Vasco de Balboa

Spanish explorer who was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from the Americas

Ponce de Leon

Spanish explorer and governor of Puerto Rico; searched for the “Fountain of Youth”, and claimed Florida for Spain in 1513

Ferdinand Magellan

Portuguese explorer who was the first European to circumnavigate the globe

Jacques Cartier

French explorer who claimed modern-day Canada for France in 1534; first European to sail and map the St. Lawrence River

Francisco Coronado

Spanish explorer and conquistador who searched for the mythical “7 cities of gold”; first European to see the Grand Canyon and American Southwest; claimed land north of Mexico for Spain

Hernado de Soto

first European to cross the Mississippi River; assisted Pizarro’s conquering of Peru

James Cook

British explorer who led three major voyages- New Zealand, Australia’s east coast, and the Hiwaiian Islands

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish explorer who conquered the Inca Empire and founding the city of Lima in Peru

Christopher Columbus

Italian sent by Spain who tried to reach Asia; landed in the Caribbean Islands in 1492; made 4 total voyages

Amerigo Vespucci

Americas named after him; Italian navigator on Spanish ship; Simonetta Vespucci’s cousin

John Cabot

Italian explorer sent by England who founded Newfoundland and Cape Breton island on the North American coast

Hernan Cortes

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztecs; claimed Mexico for Spain

Henry Hudson

Englishman who sailed for the English and Dutch; claimed Hudson and modern NY for Dutch; claimed Hudson Bay area for England

Robert LaSalle

French explorer who establised forts from the Great Lakes down the Mississippi River; claimed Louisiana for France

Francis Drake

English sea captain and privateer; helped defeat the Spanish Armada; first English explorer to sail around the world

Samuel Champlain

French explorer who found New France and Quebec City in modern-day Canada in 1608; first European to explore and describe the Great Lakes

Zheng He

Chinese explorer and commander of huge treasure ships; lead voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, and East Africa; demonstrated the power and wealth of the Ming Dynasty

Pedro Alvarez Cabral

founded Brazil and claimed it for Portugal