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Christopher Columbus explores islands off the coast of the North American continent, not realizing he has found a new land.
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The age of exploration in North America began in 1492 with the journey of Christopher Columbus. It started with a desire to find another way to the East where the Europeans had created a lucrative trade route. However, once the explorers realized they had discovered a new continent, their countries began to explore and later settle in America. The following timeline covers the key events of the period 1492 - 1585.
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John Cabot sights Newfoundland and Labrador, claiming this area for England before sailing south towards Maine and returning to England.
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John and Sebastian Cabot explore from Labrador to Cape Cod.
Vincente Pinzon and Solis explore the Gulf of Mexico and the coast of Florida. -
1500-1502 - João Vaz Corte-Real explores the coast of North America.
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Pedro Álvares Cabral explores Brazil.
Vicente Yáñez Pinzón discovers the Amazon River in Brazil. -
Juan Ponce de León finds and names Florida. Legend has it, he searches for the Fountain of Youth.
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1523 - Pánfilo de Narváez became governor of Florida but died after dealing with a hurricane, attacks by native americans, and disease.
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1535 - Jacques Cartier travels up the St. Lawrence River to Quebec and Montreal.
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1539 - Fray Marcos de Niza searches for the Seven Cities of Gold and wanders over New Mexico.
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1540-42 - Francisco Vásquez de Coronado explores the Gila River, the Rio Grande, and the Colorado River. He reaches as far north as Kansas before returning to Mexico City. He too searches for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold.
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1542 - Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sails up the California Coast and claims it for Spain.
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1543 - Followers of Hernando De Soto sail from the Mississippi River to Mexico. Bartolome Ferrelo continues sailing north up California and reaches what is probably present day Oregon.
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1565 - The first permanent European settlement is founded by Pedro Menendez de Aviles at St. Augustine, Florida.
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1584 - Sir Walter Raleigh lands on Roanoke Island and calls the land Virginia.
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1585 - Roanoke in Virginia is settled. However, this is short-lived. When John White returns two years later, the colony has disappeared. An additional group of settlers is left at Roanoke. When John White returns in 1590, the settlement has yet again disappeared. To this day, mystery surrounds their disappearance.
