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1341
Portugal discovers Canary Islands
Portuguese expansion into the Atlantic began with the discovery of the Canary Islands in 1341. These are shown on the map off the west coast of North Africa. They are labeled Insule Canarie. -
1460
Henry the Navigator dies at age 66
Cause of death unknown, most likely a lingering illness. -
1487
King John II searches for route to India
King John II of Portugal sought to bypass the Venetians' dominance in the spice trade by finding a sea route to Asia by sailing around the African continent. -
1492
Columbus sets sail on behalf of Spain
Columbus and his crew set sail from Spain in three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. On October 12, the ships made landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but on one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador. -
1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
This treaty divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Portugal and the Crown of Castile. The division was for the claiming of the Catholic Church and the countries were trying to diffuse warfare problems between them. -
1496
Spain conquers the Canaries
the Treaty of Alcáçovas recognized Spanish sovereignty over the Canaries, and the conquest of the remaining islands was completed. -
1497
John Cabot sought out Asia on behalf of Great Britain
John Cabot's ship, the Matthew, sailed from Bristol with a crew of 18 in 1497. After a month at sea, he landed and took the area in the name of King Henry VII. Cabot had reached one of the northern capes of Newfoundland. -
1497
Vasco De Gama reaches India
Vasco da Gama led four ships and nearly 170 crew members along the route Dias had followed, this time veering even more sharply into the southern Atlantic to catch the favorable currents needed to get past the Cape of Good Hope. -
1498
John Cabot takes his second voyage
John Cabot sailed from Bristol. His four ships, and crew were lost at sea, and never heard from again. -
1519
Spain Conquers the Aztec Empire
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico, the Spanish-Aztec War, or the Conquest of Tenochtitlan was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. -
1534
France heads to the new world in search of gold
France's King Francis I authorized the navigator Jacques Cartier to lead a voyage to the New World in order to seek gold and other riches, as well as a new route to Asia. -
1550
Great Britain slows down their exploration
England's interest in exploration waned during the rule of Henry VIII, and resumed in earnest during the 1550s, thanks, ironically, to Spanish support. -
Great Britain fails to settle New World
England’s first effort to establish a settlement in the New World ended badly. Sir Walter Raleigh gained a royal charter to found the settlement of Roanoke, located on an island off the coast of North Carolina. Raids by Native American tribes and disease devastated the settlement, and it was eventually abandoned. -
Samuel De Champlain promotes New France
Samuel de Champlain made great strides for French exploration of the New World. He explored the Caribbean in 1601 and the coast of New England in 1603 before traveling farther north. In 1608 he founded Quebec, and he made numerous Atlantic crossings as he worked tirelessly to promote New France. -
Jean Nicolet heads to Green Bay with Native Americans
Nicolet left Georgian Bay with several Indians in a single canoe, skirted the northern shore of Lake Huron and passed through the Straits of Mackinac. Entering Lake Michigan, he followed its northern and western shores to Green Bay. -
French and Indian war ends
French and Indian War/Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France, as well as their respective allies.