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Period: 1520 to
Interpreting Timelines
The timeline below is divided into equal parts of time. The timeline below is divided into parts standing for 10-year periods: 1520, 1530, 1540, 1550, 1560, 1570, 1580, 1590, 1600, 1610, 1620. Lines show when a particular event happened during these 10-year periods. -
1524
Giovanni da Verrazano sails to New York Bay
Giovanni da Verrazano was the first European to reach New York. He was from Italy but was an explorer from France. In 1524, he captained a ship across the Atlantic to what is now North Carolina. Then, he traveled north to New York Bay. He did not find the Northwest Passage, so he returned to France. -
1535
Jacques Cartier sails up the St. Lawrence River
A few years later, Frenchman Jacques Cartier sailed to Canada. On his first trip, he traveled around the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On later trips, he traveled down the St. Lawrence River looking for treasure. He never made it as far as New York on the St. Lawrence River, but he helped to establish France's claim to the area. -
Samuel de Champlain reaches Lake Champlain
In 1608, Samuel de Champlain had reached Canada. There, he sailed down the St. Lawrence River from a trading post in Tadoussac. At trading posts, people exchanged European goods for furs. Later, in 1609, Champlain traveled to what is now northern New York. He reached a large lake that he named Lake Champlain, after himself. Champlain was friendly with Native Americans in the area. He even joined one group, the Hurons, in a war against the Iroquois. -
Henry Hudson travels up the Hudson River
In 1609, another explorer named Henry Hudson arrived in New York. He was an Englishman sailing for the Netherlands. People from the Netherlands are also called the Dutch. Hudson sailed into New York Bay and then up a wide river. That river is named for him today.
