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Mar 16, 1415
Prince Henry the Navigator
He was the son of the king of Portugal. He hoped Portugese sailors would find new trade routes to the Far East. Henry set up the first European school for navigators in Sagresh. He put together detailed astronomical tables. He also worked to design and build better ships. Sent explorers along Africa's west coast. Found gold dust, ivory, and people whom they enslaved. Brought new wealth to their country. -
May 16, 1473
Bartolomeu Dias
The equator was crossed. They found out the sea didn't boil and it did not house great monsters. Portugese explorers continued down African coast. Strong winds blew him southward. Didn't know the ship had been slown beyond the tip of the continent. He named it Cape of Storms. -
Jan 1, 1483
John Cabot
Was the first European to explore the mainland of North America and the first to search the Northwest Passage. When he went to England he was given a hero welcome. On his first voage Cabot sailed out to Bristol. -
Aug 17, 1492
Christopher Columbus
Was a skilled navigator from Genoa. He believed the world was round, not flat. He believed he could reach Asia by sailing west. He tried for 8 yrs. to convince different rulers from all over to sponsor him and try to convince them he could do it. Finally, Queen Isabella of Spain supported him. He left spain in 1492 with the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, his three ships. His crew wanted to go back. He promised to turn back if they didn't see land. He found America but thought it was Asia. -
Jan 1, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
Agreed apon by the Spanish and Portuguese, to clear up confusion on newly claimed land in the New World. In order to make trade more efficient, Portugal attempted to find a direct water route. -
Aug 29, 1497
Vasco Da Gama
Led a convoy of ships down the Tagus river. After 4 mos. at sea, they rounded Cape of Good Hope. Crew was sick. Continued sailing down the coast toward Mozambique. Whe the muslims found out they had reached Mozambique, they forced them to leave. They then went to Malindi. The crew learned to make rope from coconut fiber. The king sent da Gama an Arab pilot to lead him out safely. Landed at Calicut. -
Mar 9, 1500
Pedro Cabral
King Manuel I of Portugal sent him on a mission to India. They sailed 13 ships following the route of da Gama. On April 22nd, he spotted land, which is now Brazil. He claimed it for Portugal and named it "Island of the True Cross". He remained for ten days, then moved on. He traded spices in Cochin and 50 of his men died in a fight w/ the muslims who didn't want them to continue. Returned of June 23rd, 1501 with only 4 of the original 13 ships. -
Jan 1, 1501
Amerigo Vespucci
He was one for the earlist explorers of the new land, today know as North America. In his child hood he traded with his uncle, thats how he became familiar with ships. He was th frist one people to realize the places that he visited werent part of Asia. Many just thought that if you found new land it was part of Asia. -
Feb 13, 1502
Francisco Pizarro
He's a spanish conquistador. He's the conquistador that conquered the Incan Empire. He was the founder of Lima. He sailed to the New World with 30 ships, with the Govorner of Hispaniola. The 30 ships carried 2,500 colonists. -
Oct 3, 1510
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
He founded the colony of Santa Maria la Antigua del Darien. In 1513 he crossed the Isthmus of Panama. He was the 1st ever European to lead an expedition to the Pacific Ocean from the New World. -
May 17, 1519
Hernan Cortez
He wa elected the captain of the third expedition to the mainland. He partly funded it himself. His fued with Diego Valazquez de Cuellar resulted in the recall of the trip at the last minute. Cortes ignored it. He arrived on the continent and used Dona Marina as an interpretor, and ended up being the mother of his child. -
May 18, 1527
Giovanni Verrazzano
Was an Italian explorer. He was in the service of the French royal family. He was the first European for a long time to Explore the Atlantic Coast of the North Americas. -
May 20, 1528
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
Born into a Spanish nobility. He served with Cortes in the conquest of Mexico. He is one of the main explorers of the new land. -
May 19, 1533
Jacques Cartier
Discover the Saint Lawrence River. Was Born in a seaport, Saint Malo, France. He also studied naviagtions in Dieppe. -
Jun 27, 1542
Juan Rogriguez Cabrillo
Cabrillo sailed away from Navidad with three ships. On August 4th, 1542, Cabrillo landed at the sight of Cedros Islands. They entered "unchartered waters" where no Spanich explorer had been before. They went to many other places by the coast, but were subjected to brutal autumn storms that damaged the ships and the crew. On the 22nd of November, they ernt back to San Salvador to make repairs. Cabrillo fell, splintered his shin, it got infected, and he died three days later. -
Jan 1, 1581
Sir Francis Drake
He is an English sea captain, a privateer, navigator, slaver, and a used-to-be pirate. He was a politician for queen Elizabeth I . In 1581, Elizabeth dubbed him into knighthood. He was the second in command of the English fleet against the Spanish. He was known as 'El Draque' to the Spanish who couldn't pronounce Drake. -
John Davis
He was one of the chief Navigators for Queen Elizabeth I. He was sailing olong the East shore and he encountered an icy stretch of coast, which happened to be Greenland. He sailed some more and encountered the Baffin Islands -
Henry Hudson
English Explorer, and a navigator. He explored the river which would be later named for him, the Hudson River. He discovered a strait and a huge bay on his final expedition. Henry wnted to keep going, but his crew mutinied. They cast him, his sons, and a few others over the edge of the boat. They drifted away and were never seen again.
