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Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain in search of a route heading West to find Asia. However, what he discovered instead were the Americas. He made four different trips across the Atlantic Ocean. On his four journeys, he discovered the new lands of West Indies, which sparked a huge wave of new explorations.
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Amerigo Vespucci is best known for his namesake: the continents of North and South America. Previously, explorers, including Columbus, had assumed that the New World was part of Asia. Vespucci was the first person to recognize North and South America as distinct continents that were previously unknown to Europeans, Asians and Africans.
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Vasco Núñez de Balboa helped establish the first stable settlement on the South American continent. While leading an expedition in search of gold, he sighted the Pacific Ocean. Balboa claimed the ocean and all of its shores for Spain.
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In search of fame and fortune, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set out to discover a western sea route to the Spice Islands. On the way, he discovered what is now known as the Strait of Magellan and became the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean. He proved that the globe could be circled by sea and that the world was much larger than previously imagined.
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Cortes was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who defeated the Aztec empire and claimed Mexico for Spain. He became allies with some of the native people he encountered, but with others he used deadly force to conquer the land.
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Giovanni da Verrazzano sailed to North America in search of a sea route to the Pacific. He sailed for France. Verazzano is most known for his discovery of what is now New York harbor.
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An explorer, soldier and conquistador, Francisco Pizarro "discovered" the Incan empire and conquered it brutally and quickly, stealing immense hoards of gold, silver, and other treasures. Pizarro was responsible for the demise of the Incan Empire, of which he claimed their entire empire for the Spanish.
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Francisco Vázquez de Coronado set out to find the Seven Golden Cities, but his expeditions resulted in the discovery of many physical landmarks, including the Grand Canyon. Sadly, he failed to find the cities of treasure he hoped for.
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Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo participated in the conquest of Cuba in the early 1500's and later battled the Aztecs in Mexico. He eventually made his fortune in Guatemala, mining gold and trading goods. In hopes of more riches, he set out to explore the California coast, mapping landmarks and identifying Native villages.
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John Smith was sent to America to help govern the British colony of Jamestown. After allegedly being saved from death by Pocahontas, he established trading agreements with native tribes. He is famous for his role in the exploration of the New World.
