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Jan 1, 1450
Prince Henry the Navigator
He was the son of the king of Portugal. He heard about all the gold all the african merchants so he wanted to explore the west coast of Africa in the early 1400's. He set up the first school for navigators and at the same time he worked with others to design better ships. He sent parties of explorer south, and they discovered the gold coast and Cape Verde these islands were used to explore oceans they found gold dust and people who they enslaved, this brought new wealth. -
Jan 1, 1487
Bartolomeu Dias
Readied ships for a long trip in 1487. They sailed along Africas west coast, but as winds blew them southward, they realized they had gone around the tip of of the continent and reached the east coast. Dias named the southern tip Cape of storms, but then renamed it Cape of Good Hope, because it became known that the far east could be reached by going around Africa. -
May 17, 1492
Christopher Columbus
He believed the world was round, not flat. So, he believed that if he sailed west he would reach India. So, in 1492 Queen Isabella of Spain decided to fund the exploration. So that same year he sailed off with his three ships the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. They sailed west and hit the Bahamas, but believing that they reached the Indies, called the Native Americans Indians. Eventually they went home with parrots, gold and other treasures. -
Jan 1, 1493
Treaty of Tordesillas
In 1493 the pope drew thr papal line of demacration. This was a border. Portugal was to have all the non-christian land to the east of this border, and Spain was o have all the non-christian lands to the west. However, the Portuguese were not satified. So, in 1494 the Treaty of Tordesillas stated that the border would be moved 500 miles to the west, giving Portugal Brazil. But, out side countries, such as France, England, ect., paid no attention to the document, and claimed land they wanted. -
Jan 1, 1497
Amerigo Vespucci
He was an explorer from Spain. He explored the Atlantic coast, south of America. He was one of the first to believe he found a new world. -
Jan 1, 1497
John Cabot
In 1497 Cabot set sail with with a few men. They Explored a few coasts. These included Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. He also made claims for Britian in the Americas. -
Aug 1, 1497
Vasco da Gama
He was a Portugese noble he led a group of 4 ships down the tagus river from Lisbon Bartolonue Dias went with him. De Gama had an order to proclaim christianity to other places. After 4 months De Gama's convoy to the Cape of Good Hope and the crew was ill, the water and food was spoiled but they continued they sailed North along the african coast they got to Mozabique where they found muslims and were forced to leave then they had many spices and went home 11 months later they got back to Lisbon -
Jan 1, 1500
Pedro Cabral
He was a military comander and an explorer. He had 13 Ships and he set sail in the western atlantic ocean, he descovered what he thought was a big island. Treaty of Tordesillas said that the land was Portuguese. Discovered Brazil and sailed east to India 1500-1501 -
Jan 1, 1513
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
He was a spanish conquistador and explorer. In 1513, Balboa went acroos the Isthmus of Panama. He was the First European to see the Great South Sea. -
Jan 1, 1513
Ponce de Leon
He sailed north form puerto rico to A land a riches instead he found Florida. He was the first Govoner of puerto rico. He was one of the first explorers in America. -
Jan 1, 1519
Hernan Cortez
Hernan in vaded Mexico between 1519 and 1521. He destroyed the Native American empire Ruled by an Azte king. They took a lot of gold to send to Spain. -
Jan 1, 1519
Ferdinand Magellan
Portugal controlled the eastern route to indies, in effect Portugal was rich. Ferdinand offered king to find a werstern rout to the indies and the king gladly accepted. In 1519 he set sail. Sailed in the Great South Sea and reanamed it the Pacific ocean. Crew forced to eat rats, sawdust, and leather. Turned toward the Pheleppin islands and there Ferdinand Magellan was killed. In 1522 the crew arrived back in spain loaded with spices. This also proved Colombus had landed on america. -
Jan 1, 1523
Giovanni Verrazano
The french hired him to find a northwest passage. He sailed along the Atlantic from North Carolina to New York. He was Italian and inservice of the french crown. -
Jan 1, 1528
Alavar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
Alvar was an Explorer from Spain. Starting in 1528 he explored Florida. He also went to the Gulf area from Texas to Mexico. -
Jan 1, 1532
Francisco Pizarro
He invaded peru. In 5 years he conquered the inca. He took great treasures of gold and silver from the nativ americans. They built lima which means "city of kings". In 1502 he went to the new world with 30 ships. It was the largest fleet ever sent to the new world at that time. -
Jan 1, 1534
Jacques Cartier
He was a French navigator. In 1534 he sailed up th St. Lawrence rive as far as what is today, Montreal. This made a Claim in Canada for the French. -
Jan 1, 1542
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo
He explored the Pacific Ocean and the coast to Draks Bay near San Fransisco. He was first European to explore the west coast of America. He also helped found the city of Oaxaca, in Mexico. -
Jan 1, 1577
Sir Francis Drake
He was the person from English origion to sail arround the world.
He was a hero to the english but a pirate to the Spaniards. He was 2nd in comand of the english navy agaings the Spanish Armada in 1588. -
John Davis
He was an English explorer that explored the west coast of Greenland in search of northwest passage to Asia. He was one of the chief English explorers because he worked under Elizebeth the first. He explored the polar regions and the far east. -
Henry Hudson
The Dutch sent him a English navagator to navigate him in through the passage. He sailed on Hudson river and went to what is now Albany, New York. After he came back he set out again to the americas and was caught in a storm. He was never seen again but his first voyage claimed the americas to belong to the dutch.
