-
1487
Bartolomeu Dias
In 1487, Bartolomeu Dias set off on a voyage to find a sea route that could get around the southernmost point of the African coastline. He commanded three ships, all of which carried padrões to mark their discovery. He succeeded in rounding the Cape of Good Hope and locating where the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean met. However, the voyage had to come to an unfortunate end due to a scarcity in the food supply. -
1492
Christopher Columbus
With funding from the Spanish monarchy, Columbus embarked on his first voyage on August 2, 1992. He attempted to find a direct route from Europe to China, India, and the gold and spice islands of Asia. But, Columbus shared the false common belief that East Asia was near North America. This miscalculation ultimately led his ships to dock at what is now the Bahamas. Soon, his discovery of the "new" land and the civilizations there ignited centuries of exploration and destruction in the New World. -
1497
John Cabot's Second Voyage
In May 1497, John Cabot made a second voyage at sea on "Matthew" with a crew of approximately 18 men. He arrived in present-day Canada, though the exact location is still disputable between Newfoundland, Labrador, or Cape Breton Island. Upon setting foot on the inhabited land, John Cabot raised the English flag to mark it as English territory. However, he, too, hoisted the Venetian flag — the flag of his motherland, the Republic of Venice. -
1498
Vasco Da Gama
The expedition led by Vasco Da Gama required a total of four vessels. Though he successfully rounded the Cape of Good Hope, many of his crew members were sick with scurvy. Thus, Da Gama decided to rest and resupply in Mozambique and Kenya. After ten months, the crew finally crossed the Indian Ocean and arrived in Calicut, India. They stayed there for three months and returned to Portugal almost a year later. This voyage helped open an oceanic trade route between the Portuguese empire and Asia. -
1518
Hernán Cortés
In 1518, Cortés began an expedition to Mexico to claim land, convert the indigenous, and find riches for the Spanish crown. Thus, having settled upon the area, he strategically used methods to take down the most powerful Mesoamerican kingdom: the Aztec Empire. In 1521, he successfully defeated the Aztecs and brought their empire to an end. As a result of this great accomplishment, King Charles I appointed him the governor of New Spain. -
1524
Giovanni Da Verrazzano
As France fell behind in exploration, King Francis I appointed Verrazzano to lead expeditions to the West. In 1524, he commanded four ships on the voyage. Unfortunately, all but "Delfina" was wrecked. After 50 days, they arrived at present-day Cape Fear, North Carolina. He trailed the east coastline of North America, temporarily landing in New York Bay; Narragansett; and Newport, Rhode Island. After staying in Newport for two weeks, "Delfina" returned to France. -
Period: 1534 to 1541
Jaques Cartier's Three Voyages to North America
The purpose of Cartier's voyage was to find riches, spices, and a passage to Asia. Unfortunately, in all three expeditions, he failed to accomplish any of these. Feeling the incompetence in Cartier, King Francis I ceased giving him any more royal commissions. A year later, Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval's crew also decided to abandon their North American settlement. Thus, this led to a period of French disinterest in North American claims. -
Period: 1577 to 1580
Francis Drake's Circumnavigation of Earth
In 1577, Drake ventured to explore the coast beyond South America by crossing the Strait of Magellan. However, he devoted the majority of his expedition to raiding Spanish fleets and ports instead. Eventually, he stumbled upon the coast before attempting to sail back through the Northwest Passage. Harsh weather landed him near present-day San Francisco, which he claimed for English territory. He later crossed the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, arriving back in England after three years at sea. -
East India Company
The East India Company, or English East India Company, was founded by London merchants. It was granted the royal charter by Queen Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600 in hopes to break the Dutch's control over the spice trade. Established as a monopoly trading body, it also had exclusive rights to the oversea trades between the East, Southwest Asia, and India. Through the business, England was able to get its hands on inexpensive, yet high quality goods like tea, cotton textiles, as well as spices. -
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was founded and sponsored in 1602 by the Dutch Republic. The decline in the Portuguese spice trade and their decision to ally with Spain, who had tension with the Dutch, ultimately caused the Dutch to join the spice trade themselves. They established the company to stabilize profit from the spice trade and a monopoly. Within years, it created trading posts internationally and rivaled the English East India Company. By 1669, it became the world's wealthiest company. -
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain was a French navigator, explorer, and cartographer. In 1608, Champlain made an expedition up the St. Lawrence River where he founded Quebec, the future center of fur trading. In 1609, he founded Lake Champlain, which was named after him. Aside from these discoveries, he also mapped out the Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes, and made smaller discoveries in northern New York and Ottawa River. He was also recognized for governing the New France colonies. -
Henry Hudson
Due to two previous failures at finding a shorter route to Asia through the North Pole, the Muscovy Company in London was reluctant to continue to fund him. However, he soon received a commission from the Dutch East India Company in 1609. Through this voyage, he caught wind of possible channels that go through the Americas and led to the Pacific. Though he was not successful in finding the route that led to the Pacific, the river that he traveled on was named the Hudson River. -
Henry Hudson - Fourth Voyage
Hudson set off on another voyage in 1610, funded by the British East India Company and Muscovy Company. After heading west, Hudson soon found the entry that another English explorer, Weymouth, claimed as a possible channel that led to the Pacific. After he sailed through the channel, the coastline opened and led him to what is now Hudson Bay. After another unsuccessful attempt, they headed back to England when his crew revolted and left him at Hudson Bay. -
Plymouth
In 1620, about 100 English people, now known as Pilgrims, boarded the Mayflower to sail to the New World. Of the 100 onboard, about 40 were from the English Separatist Church. Unsatisfied with the reforms of the Church of England, they boarded the voyage in search of religious freedom and opportunities. They sailed towards the Hudson River, but due to storms, they were thrown off course. Instead, they arrived at Plymouth Rock and established the first permanent European colony in New England. -
René-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle
Robert de La Salle returned to Canada from France with permission to explore the land west of New France in 1678. Early in the year, he had the Griffon, the first commercial sailing vessel, built and embarked on his journey to the Mississippi. The ship was destroyed, but a new vessel was built immediately after, resuming their journey in 1680. With much difficulty, they headed down the Mississippi and claimed the Mississippi basin for France, naming it Louisiana after King Louis XIV. -
The East India Company Gains Control of India
Initially a trading company, the East India Company seized control of the Mughal state of Bengal after the Battle of Plassey in 1757 (the battle occurred over the company not paying taxes). The company easily won as their military leader, Robert Clive, struck a deal with Indian bankers. This convinced majority of the Indian army to not participate in the battle. Thus, Bengal's treasures were then able to ship to England, puppet rulers were installed, and local taxes solely benefited the company. -
The Treaty of Paris
The Seven Year's War (between England, France, and their allies) ended with two treaties, one of them being the Treaty of Paris. This agreement stated that France would lose all of its territories on mainland North America, while Britain would gain Florida, Upper Canada, and Ohio Valley. As for Spain, they would now possess the port of New Orleans and Louisiana. With the treaty signed, it officially marked the start of Britain's world dominance. -
James Cook's First Voyage
Upon the completion of this voyage in 1771, Cook charted New Zealand and a strait between the islands (now known as Cook Strait). The discovery of New Zealand invalidated the then accepted claim that there was no land in the area. Furthermore, he also managed to describe Australia's east coast. -
James Cook's Second Voyage
Cook set out to find the rumored southern continent, known as Terra Australis, in the southern Pacific. He sailed through the Antarctic Circle, Africa, and New Zealand before exploring New Caledonia. On the trip home, Cook also discovered Sandwich Archipelago. The voyage was completed in 1775, where he dispelled the belief of Terra Australis. -
James Cook's Third Voyage
Cook aimed to chart the shortest path between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. However, harsh winter conditions and the presence of icebergs forced his ships to sail back. The change of course allowed Cook to chart the Alaska coast, observe volcanoes on the Aleutian coast, and describe some Nordic species. In 1779, Cook attempted to keep the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands hostage (to prevent unrest while his crew waited out a storm). Angered, they stabbed him in the neck, killing him. -
The India Act
The British Parliament passed the India Act in 1784, which allowed them to have political control of the East India Company. Without the authority to make political decisions, the company's influence weakened and gave way to British Crown rule in India. The parliament later passed multiple laws that further weakened the company. Eventually, this resulted in the demise of the East India Company.