European American Explorers Timeline.

  • Period: 1540 to 1542

    Coronado's Expedition

    He went as far north as Kansas looking for cities of gold. He didn't find them.
  • Period: to

    Jacques Marquette’s Expedition

    Explore unsettled territory in North America from the Great Lakes region to the Gulf of Mexico for the colonial power of France.
  • Spain claims the land that is now Nebraska

    Spain claimed the land of Nebraska at the same time as France so their borders over lapped.
  • Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont comes to Nebraska

    He reached the platte river and named it he "Nebraskier River," using an Oto word that means "flat water."
  • France claims the land that is now Nebraska

    France and Spain go to war which gave France the land.
  • Period: to

    Villasur's Expedition.

    He went to stop French fur trade in present day Columbus. Pawnees and oto tribe attacked their camp. The fight lasted only a few minutes ending with 35 Spainards dead, including Villasur.
  • Spain claims the land that is now Nebraska

    France and Spain went to war and France lost the 7 year war so the land was back to Spain.
  • France takes land that is now Nebraska.

    The French military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, took the land back from Spain. Napoleon found it hard to control that land.
  • United States of American buys the land

    Napoleon found it hard to control that land while also fighting in wars over in Europe, so he sold the land for 15 million dollars to the United States.
  • Period: to

    Lewis and Clark expedition.

    Lewis and Clark wanted to find a North Western passage, a passage that would allow water to go through the mountains in the north west, though they didn't find it.
  • Period: to

    Zebulon Pike's expedition

    He was sent to explore the American Southwest.