Early Explores

By Davidson.I
  • 1000

    Leif Erikson

    A Norse explorer [viking] who explored west of Greenland. Explored North America, (Canida) 500 years before Columbus.
  • 1420

    Prince Henry

    Originally from Portugal, he explored the west coast of Africa. Prince Henry also established a school for sailors and provided financial support that enabled the Portugees.
  • 1488

    Bartolomeu Dias

    Sailed from Portugal southward made it to the bottom of Africa. Discovering the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope.
  • 1492

    Christopher Columbus

    Columbus was given 3 ships (Nina, Penta, Santa Maria) and originally voyaged to India but accidentally found America instead.
  • 1497

    Vasco de Gama

    Sailed all around Africa and all the way to India.
  • 1497

    John Cabot

    Sails for the English and searched for a passage to the Pacific Ocean along the coast of Canada and Newfoundland. This became the basis of England’s claim to North America.
  • 1498

    Pedro Alvares Cabral

    Soon after Da Gama came back, Cabral took 13 ships and left Portugal. Going west, he then found Brazil. Afterward, Cabral was sent on an expedition to India by King Manuel I of Portugal.
  • 1499

    Amerigo Vespucci

    Vespucci explored the coast of South America and realized it was a separate continent of Asia. In his honor, it was then called America.
  • 1513

    Juan Ponce de Leon

    Explored and mapped out present-day Florida in 1513, looking for the "fountain of youth"
  • 1519

    Hernando Cortes

    Cortes was a conquistador who explored Mexico in 1519. Also most famous for conquering the Aztec using technology, animals, diseases, and a huge army who didn't like the Aztecs.
  • 1520

    Ferdinand Magellan

    Leaving Portugal and sailing to the tip of South America. Sailing through dangerous straits, he then sailed into one ocean that was rather calm. Because of this, he called it the Pacific Ocean.
  • 1528

    Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

    Accompanied by Estevanico (a slave) and others, explored the North American Southwest looking for the 7 cities of gold.
  • Nov 15, 1532

    Francisco Pizarro

    Explored the Andes Mountains of South America and conquered the Inca Empire. Smallpox was mingling around the empire around the time when Pizarro conquered the Incas.
  • Jun 9, 1534

    Jacques Cartier

    A Frenchman who sailed down the Saint Lawrence river all the way to present-day Montreal, claiming lands for France.
  • 1540

    Francisco Vazquez de Coronado

    Heard about the Seven Cities of gold but while exploring, he found the Grand Canyon
  • May 8, 1541

    Hernando de Soto

    Explored Florida and North Carolina discovered the Mississipi River but died from a fever.
  • Jun 27, 1542

    Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo

    Flew under the spanish flag and was the first european to make it to the United states. Best known for investigations of the West Coast of North America.

  • Henry Hudson

    An English captian who led a Dutch expedition to present-day New York

  • Henry Hudson

    Hudson, his teenage son, and seven supporters were marooned off the ship and onto a smaller boat in the winter

  • Samuel de Champlain

    Known as the "Father of France," Champlain is best knwon for establishing and governing the settlement of New France
    (1603-1635) and the city of Quebec (1608)

  • Rene-Robert de La Salle

    Claimed lands on the Missisippi River and the Missisippi Valley