European Exploration

By grsal6016
  • Dec 31, 1300

    Marco Polos Travels

    People in Europe read of Marco Polo's travels.
  • Apr 2, 1400

    Europeans Branch Out

    People in Europe began to look to the seas and beyond.
  • Sep 15, 1492

    Columbus

    Christopher Columbus led his first expedition.
  • Sep 15, 1497

    Vasco da Gama

    He found a new route and sailed all the way to India.
  • Sep 16, 1497

    John Cabot

    King Henry VII sent John Cabot to the west. He went to North America to try and find the North West passage.
  • Sep 16, 1498

    Columbus goes again

    Columbus sailed westward again. He landed in South America. Later a map maker named it America after a exploroer named Amerigo Vespucci
  • Period: Sep 16, 1508 to Sep 16, 1509

    Settlement

    Juan Ponce de Leon settled in Puerto Rico. King Ferdinand told him to explore lands of North Cuba.
  • Jan 15, 1513

    Ponce De Leon

    Ponce de Leon set out ships and crew. They first landed on the East coast of Florida. They sailed in the Florida Keys.
  • Period: May 16, 1520 to Jul 16, 1529

    Spainards

    Spain is the most powerful nation in the world at the time. They claimed huge tracts on land in the new world. They sent gold and silver that they found back to spain. Ayllon had his eye on the mainland of Florida. He had some of the Atlantic Coast. He wanted to plant a strong colony along the coast. He lad men, women, and kids to a river he called Jordan. Historians believe that it was actually North Carolina's Cape Fear river. Ayllon died due to disease. R.I.P.
  • Sep 16, 1524

    Giovanni da Verrazano

    King Francis I sent Giovanni da Verrazano westward. He reached North Carolina's Outer Banks. He went back to France and the king wouldn't let anymore people go to the Americas.
  • Period: Sep 16, 1539 to Sep 16, 1565

    Explorers

    Hernando de Soto sailed with military on expedition. They marched northward to present day Tallahassee, Florida. He met the Cherokee indians, who treated him nice. De Soto died on the trip, but many men went back to Mexico. The Colonist gave up in 1564 and returned to France. Laudenniere led huguenots and settled in Florida's North Coast. Jean Ribault brought supply ships to the fort. In 1565 spanish ambushed the France.
  • Period: Jan 16, 1560 to Oct 16, 1569

    More Spanish Expeditions

    Juan Pardo and Fernando Boyando led a small group to the South Carolina Coast, then pused Northwest. Conquistadores helped fight in the 1560's and later.