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The people of Europe read of Marco Polo's travels to Asia, especially Cathay (China). He wrote of his adventures, and the Europeans began thinking of all the riches there.
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He landed in the Bahamas Islands that he thought was near Asia.
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King Henry VII sent Cabot, an Italian living in England, on a voyage west. They were looking for the 'Northwest Passage', a water route through the Americas that would lead to Asia.
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Vasco de Gama explored south, along the coast of Africa. He thought he would find a route to the Spice Islands - and he did.
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Columbus went on another voyage and found South America. A map maker named the place after Amerigo Vespucci.
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The Spanish official in the New World explored and settled the island off Puerto Rico.
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He landed in Florida and he named it after the Spanish word for 'flowers'. Then he sailed through the Florida Keys and along the coast.
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Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon, a Spanish official, had seen the mainland north of Florida during his expidition and wanted to plant a Spainish colony there.
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King Francis I of France sent Italian navigator Giovanni da Verranzano westward. No more voyages were sponsered by France, due to military challanges. Verranzana landed in the Carolinas and thought he saw the Pacific (it was really the sounds of the Outer Banks).
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Led over 500 men, women, and children to a river he called 'Jordan'. The colony failed due to disease and starvation. They went to South Carolina, but did no better and returned to Hispaniola. Ayllon himself died there.
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Wanting to know more about the interior of North America, Hernando de Soto and his men went to the west coast of Florida and spent the winter near present day Tellehassee.
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France started a colony of Huguenots (French protestants) under the command of Jean Ribault. The Huguenots sought religous freedom in the New World.
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They settled in present day Port Royal, and they claimed the conditions were favorable. Despite that, they gave up and returned to France.
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