1510's

1510's

Period: Jan 1, 1510 to Dec 31, 1519

Vasco de Balboa

Apr 27, 1513

The Spaniard Vasco de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and became the first known European to gaze westward upon the great ocean that separated America from China.

Start of Protestantism

Apr 27, 1517

Martin Luther began to question the basic practices and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, which resulted in him starting his own religion. His widespread followers were mostly ordinary men and women in Europe. This was one sect of the people who came to the colonies for religious freedom.

Assaults on Aztecs

Apr 27, 1518

Hernando Cortes led a small military expedition to Mexico against the Aztecs, as he had heard about treasures there. While his first attemptt was a failure, him and his men exposed the natives to smallpox, which they had not built an immunity oward yet. This made it easy for the Spanish to conquer the natives, inviting the name, "conquistadores."

Ferdinand Magellan

Jul 14, 1519

Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese in Spanish employ, died while his expedition went onto complete the first known circumnavigation of the globe starting in 1519 and ending in 1522.