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Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa. This proved that a sea route to Asia was possible, encouraging further exploration. He sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. -
Christopher was sponsored by Spain and he set sail across the Atlantic Ocean planning to get to China for Spain. He landed in the Caribbean thinking it was China it was one of the first discoveries of North America. -
Spain and Portugal signed an agreement dividing newly discovered lands in the New World. This treaty established Portugal’s control over Brazil and Spain’s dominance in most of the Americas. The treaty was between the Spanish and Portuguese. -
Cabot, sailing for England, reached the coast of Newfoundland. His voyage gave England its first claim to North America. He landed in Newfoundland, Canada -
Vasco da Gama sailed around Africa and established a sea route to India for trading. This was the start of European dominance in the Asian trade. -
Vespucci’s explorations led him to realize that the lands found by Columbus were not Asia, but a new continent. The Americas were named after him.
He explored South America -
Ponce de León was the first European to explore U.S. mainland and landed in Florida. This marks the first time Spain has reached the U.S., and this was one of Spain's first settlements. This voyage started in South America but ended in Florida. -
Balboa crossed the Panama Canal and became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. Proved that another vast ocean lay beyond the Americas. Happen in Panama -
Spain transported enslaved Africans to work in Hispaniola. Marked the beginning of widespread forced labor in the Americas. They arrived in the Caribbean first. -
Cortés and his forces, aided by indigenous allies, defeated the Aztecs and captured Tenochtitlán. Spain established control over Mexico, gaining vast wealth and expanding its empire. It happens in present-day Mexico. -
Magellan’s fleet completed the first circumnavigation of the world. Demonstrated the true scale of the Earth and interconnected oceans. Happens around the globe. -
Pizarro overthrew the Inca ruler Atahualpa and took control of Peru. This expanded Spanish rule in South America and led to the exploitation of Incan resources. The Incan Empire was located in Peru. -
Cartier explored the St. Lawrence River and claimed land for France. His voyage laid the foundation for French settlements in North America. He explored most of Canada for France. -
English explorer Francis Drake circumnavigated the world, disrupting Spanish shipping. Strengthened England’s position as a rising naval power and challenged Spanish maritime supremacy. It happens around the globe. -
England’s navy defeated Spain’s fleet, halting Spanish ambitions of invasion. It marked a turning point in European naval power dynamics, paving the way for British exploration. Happened around England and the English Channel. -
The English established Jamestown, their first permanent colony in North America. This marked the beginning of English settlement and expansion in the New World. The first colony is founded in Virginia, USA -
Hudson, sailing for the Dutch, explored the river that now bears his name. His voyage helped establish Dutch claims in North America, leading to the settlement of New Amsterdam. He sailed the river that is now New York, City. -
A Dutch ship delivered enslaved Africans to the Jamestown settlement. Introduced African slave labor to English colonies. The slaves arrived in Virginia, USA. -
They started from the Great Lakes, traveled down to the Wisconsin River, and then arrived in the Mississippi River. After they reported back to France, they established colonies in Louisiana and controlled most of that area. This occurred in Midwest North America. -
The British Parliament passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, making it illegal to participate in the transatlantic slave trade. This marked the beginning of large-scale efforts to end slavery. It ended in the Atlantic Ocean and the United Kingdom