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In 1341 three vessels sailed from Lisbon and explored the Canary Islands, off the northwestern coast of Africa. Although the expedition showed no profit and Castile later gained control of the islands this voyage was the first official exploring expedition by a European state. -
Henry began sponsoring exploration voyages along the coast of Africa using the new caravel ships. He needed money to keep his exploration going. The prince wanted access to West Africa gold. -
When the Portuguese discovered Cape Verde there were no people living on the islands. Cape Verde soon became an important stop for ships coming and going from the African coast. In 1462 a permanent settlement had been founded on the islands. -
Bartolomeu Dias was sent to find the sea route to India where they knew all the valuable spices could be picked up, by passing the Muslim traders. He rounded the southern tip of Africa and wanted to continue on to India, but his crew refused to go so they returned to Europe but now everyone knew there was a way. -
He stumbled upon the Americas. He did not discover “New World” millions of people already lived there but his journeys still marked the beginning of centuries of exploration and colonization of North and South America. -
This treaty, signed between Spain and Portugal, divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe. It granted Spain the rights to most of the Americas, while Portugal received lands in Africa, Asia, and Brazil. -
Vasco da Gama was best known for being the first to sail from Europe to India by rounding Africa's Cape of Good Hope. Over the course of two voyages, beginning in 1497 and 1502, da Gama landed and traded in locales along the coast of southern Africa before reaching India. -
Amerigo Vespucci was a 16th-century Italian merchant and explorer. He was remembered not only for his voyages that altered the course of history but for bestowing the New World with the name “America.” -
Cabral saw a piece of land that he called the Island of the True Cross. He landed and claimed it for Portugal. The land was later renamed Brazil for a kind of wood that grows there. Cabral made a special effort to be kind to the Native Americans he found in Brazil. -
Led by Hernán Cortés, Spanish conquistadors conquered the Aztec Empire, which is present-day Mexico. This conquest significantly expanded Spain's territories and wealth. -
Commissioned by King Francis I, Verrazzano explored the east coast of North America, from present-day South Carolina to Newfoundland. -
Francisco Pizarro led the conquest of the Inca Empire in present-day Peru. This further extended Spanish influence and brought immense wealth from the Inca's riches. -
Raleigh sponsored expeditions to the New World, leading to the establishment of the Roanoke Colony, although it ultimately failed. -
The Virginia Company founded Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, in present day Virginia. -
The Pilgrims, seeking religious freedom, sailed on the Mayflower and established Plymouth Colony in present day Massachusetts.