section 2

Events that led to European discovery began as far back as $1095$ AD during the religious wars known as The Crusades.
As European armies invaded new lands, such as Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem, many discovered the silk trade in "the Indies."

The Indies were: Zanzibar, East Africa, India, Indonesia, China, and Japan.
Europeans could purchase luxury items like perfumes, silk, pepper, cloves, porcelain, and cinnamon.
However, these goods were expensive and transportation was difficult--as far as $4000$ miles overland by donkey or camel--this trip could take up to a year!

Around $1300$ AD, a remarkable book began to turn up in royal courts: The Voyages of Sir Marco Polo.
In his travels to China, Polo had discovered that the country was bounded by a great ocean to the east.
If Western and Northern Europeans could find a sea route to the Indies that bypassed the feuding Italian city-states, the expensive Asian merchants, and miles of treacherous terrain--they would grow rich from trade.

Portugal was the first country to search for a new route.
Prince Henry the Navigator was fascinated with ships and sailing.
In $1418$ , he founded a research center and school for sailors in Southern Portugal.

When trying to sail around it, the coast of western Africa seemed to never end.
Contact with West Africa was disappointing; they were insulated and did not care for traveling.
Christopher Columbus, an Italian navigator suggested a bold, new plan to Portugal’s King John II in $1484$ .
Most educated people of the day theoretically knew the world was a round globe, but no one had proven it—yet.

The Norsemen were attempting to go from Iceland to Greenland when they were blown off course.
It is speculated they landed near present day Cape Cod.

Columbus left Spain in August of $1492$ .
To keep morale from sinking, Columbus deceived his crew by keeping two log books: he hid the true calculation of distance and showed his crew false figures—just in case it took longer than expected.
If there had been no American continents or islands in the Pacific, the 3 ships would not have made it much farther because they were only stocked with $4$ months of food and supplies.
Luckily, on October $11$ , leaves were spotted floating in the ocean; and on the next day a sailor saw a tropical island, which Columbus named San Salvador.

On October $12$ , $1492$ , Europeans had successfully reached another world that had previously been unknown to Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Even though he grossly miscalculated the circumference of the Earth, he is correctly documented for being right about the fact that it was round, and celebrated for bravely taking the initiative to try.
Columbus made $3$ more voyages across the Atlantic, founded several Spanish colonies, and explored parts of the central American coastline.

In $1504$ an Italian explorer named Amerigo Vespucci wrote a series of letters about his experiences in which he stated that land formed a very great continent to the west of Columbus’ voyages.
A German mapmaker named Martin Waldesmuller read them and believed Amerigo had discovered this new land.
So, Waldesmuller wrote "America" on his charts, in honor of the man he thought truly discovered the continent.

In $1494$ , the Pope led the way for The Treaty of Tordesillas to be signed between Spain and Portugal to settle disputes of who discovered what in the New World.
Therefore, Spain claimed the Americas and everything westward.
Portugal claimed Brazil, Africa, and everything eastward.

In $1497$ , King Henry VII of England sent John Cabot across the Atlantic to claim land for Great Britain.
Cabot landed at Newfoundland, but he went back to England and never returned.
England would claim the area, but not return for another $80$ years.

In $1535$ he carried the flag of France up the St. Lawrence River and claimed Montreal and Quebec for France.
Like the English, France did not return for two generations.

In $1535$ , this Spanish explorer set out to find the Caribbean Island, but founded Florida, while looking for the "Fountain of Youth".

In $1519$ , a Spanish conquistador named Hernan Cortes took $500$ soldiers armed with swords, pikes, muskets, cannons, and horses to investigate the new land.
Cortes marched on Tenochtitlan, deposed the ruler Moctezuma, and destroyed the 200-year-old Aztec empire in less than $2$ years.
Having looted the city of all its gold, it was eventually all lost due to pirates and mismanagement.

In $1532$ , he led a band of $180$ Spanish soldiers down the western coast of South America.
He soon captured the emperor of the Incas.
He told the Incas he would release their leader if they filled a room full of gold, and 2 rooms with silver.
In return, Pizarro murdered the emperor, took the treasure, and conquered the remaining tribes.
The conquest of the mighty Incan Empire took about $40$ years, although the empire had only just begun in $1438$ .

Explored the southeastern part of the North America between $1539$ and $1542$ , pushing as far north as $Tennessee$ and $Arkansas$ .
He discovered the Mississippi River, thus expanding the reach of Europeans up and down the continent.

From $1540$ to $1542$ , he ranged over much of the southwestern United States and pushed north as far as $Kansas$ .
He sent an expedition to the west to discover the Grand Canyon.