-
1000
Leif Erickson: sponsored by the country of Scandinavia
He is the first european to land in north america. he ends up landing on what is now present day california -
1488
Bartolomeu Dias: sailed in the country of Portugal
sailed southward from Portugal and made it around the southern tip of Africa. he names the southern tip "The Cape of Good Hope". -
1488
Pedro Alvarez Cabral: sponsored by the country of Portugal
he is known for landing in the country of Brazil in South America. He starts a settlement there for Portugal -
1492
Christopher Columbus: sponsored by king Ferdinand and Queen
In 1492 Christopher Columbus led 90 sailors in three ships into the unknown -
1497
Vasco Da Gama: sponsored by the country Portugal
Sailed all around Africa and all the way to India, he won the European race for a sea route to Asia -
1497
John Cabot: sponsored by England
he was sent to look for a sea route to Asia and landed on the coast of the present-day newfoundland -
1499
Amerigo Vaspucci: sponsored by spain
he realized that south america was a separate continent then -
1513
Juan Ponce de Leon: sponsored by Spain
There's a legend that wasn't only looking for gold -
1513
Vasco Nunez de Balboa: hiked through steamy rain forests
Vasco heard of stories of the "great waters" beyond the mountains of panama in central america and he hiked through steamy rain forests to find them and saw a body of water and claimed it for spain -
1519
Hernan Cortes: sponsored by Spain
Hernan Cortes had landed on the east coast of present-day Mexico, and within two years Cortes conquered the Aztec Empire that had ruled the region -
1522
Ferdinand Magellan: sponsored by spain
they reached the southernmost tip and was also blown off course by a storm -
1524
Giovanni de Verrazano: sponsored by France
Giovanni was sent to look for a northern route and explored the coast of North America from present-day Nova Scotia down to the Carolinas -
1528
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca: part of a Spanish expedition
They came in conflict with Native Americans in Florida and three out of the five boats were lost in the storm -
1531
Francisco Pizarro: sponsored by Spain
The Spanish had arrested and executed the Inca ruler, and without their leader they could not fight effectively and Pizarro had soon controlled most of the wealthy Inca empire -
1535
Jacques Cartier: sponsored by France
he sailed up the st. Lawrence river hoping that it would lead to the pacific, he discovered a mountain peak -
1540
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado: searched for the seven cities of cibola
While he was searching for the seven cities of cibola he went through northern mexico and present day Arizona -
1541
Hernando de soto: led an expedition to explore Florida
He led an expedition to explore Florida and today's southeastern united states an traveled for three years -
1542
Juan Cabrillo: sponsored by Spain
he spotted California -
Henry Hudson: sponsored by the dutch
Henry was sent to look for a passage through the Americas and found a river -
Louis Joliet and Marquette: sponsored by France
they traveled the mississippi river by a canoe, they hoped to find metals and they were trying to find a northwest passage -
Robert Cavelier de La Salle: sponsored by France
He followed the Mississippi river all the way to the Gulf of Mexico and claimed the region for France
