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Jan 1, 1450
Prince Henry the Navigator
Prince Henry the Navigator set up the first school for navigators in Sagres, Portugal. He got Portugese sailors to explore the west coast. He also organized a way for others to learn the most skilled way to sail. Prince Henry helped make better chatrs, improve navigational instruments, and put together more detailed astronomical tables. He helped design Portegese ships called the caravel. Lastly, he sent parties of explores that discovered the Gold Coast and Cape Verde as well as the Azores. -
Jan 1, 1487
Bartolomeu Dias
He readied ships for a long and hard voyage. He made sure that that the ships had enough food and water for an extended trip. Dias was blown southward by strong head winds. On the way back home Dias named the southern tip "Cape of Stroms -
Jan 1, 1491
Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci started a trading company in Spain. He helped Christopher Columbus with his voyages. He was also a skilled navigator and wanted to make his ships go faster. Amerigo traveled to many places including Brazil and Venezuela. After his explorations he found out he visited many places that weren't part of Asia. North and South America were both named after Amerigo. All in all, he returned to Seville and became a master navigator. -
Aug 1, 1492
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was a skilled navigator from Genoa who believed the earth was round. He tried for years to reach Asia and to different nations to finance and expedition. Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to support his plan. The Nina, Pinta, and Santa Marie were his ships. HIs crew then threatened mutiny. He landed on the Bahama's and thought he was in the Indies. Santa Marie wrecked and he built a fort; the European Settlement in the America's. He never reliezed he discovered America not Asia -
May 4, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
Pope Alexander 6 took action to clear up confusion that may have been made during territorial claims. he made a dercee or (law made by head of state) that made a imaginary line running north and south through the mid-Altantic. spain would claimed any not claimed land -
Jan 1, 1497
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama led a convoy down the Tisbon River. After a few months at sea, many of the crew were sick and they didn't have good resources. They sailed on to Mozambique, a muslim trading center. Vasco discovered a coconut and ships loaded with cargoes of cloves, pepper, gold, silver, pearls, and precious stones. Then, he sailed to Malindi and was sent on a quest to Calicut. Next, Vasco sailed back and many men died from scurvy. Lastly, he rwas back and his voyage led to an increase in trade. -
Jan 1, 1497
John Cabot
John Cabot was an Italian navigator who was sent to the Far East by the English merchants king. He explored the coasts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia and established claims for England in the Americas. King Henry VII was pleased with him and granted him with 20 pounds a year. He then went on a westward voyage to Asia. Cabot then decided to go on an expedition to find Japan. Lastly, he headed back to England for more supplies and died shorty after. -
Apr 22, 1500
Pedro Carabral
King Manuel 1 of portugal sent him to an expendition to india. he and his 13 ships followed the path of Vaco da gama. he sighted a land(brazil) claming it to be part of potrugal and naming it "Island of the true cross". later King Manuel 1 renamed the land Holy cross; then remaned later for Brazil. -
Jan 1, 1513
Ponce de Leon
Ponce de Leon sailed north from Porta Rico to explore Florida. He was a spanish explorer and the firsr European to set foot on Florida. He also established the oldest European settlement in Porta Rico and discovered the gulf stream. Ponce's goal was to find the legendary fountain of youth and other riches. Finally he did was founded the first European settlement and was Porta Rico's first govenor. -
Sep 1, 1513
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
1511 Balbo found a colony, the first european settlement in South America, the town of Santa Maria de la. In 1513 he sailed with hundreds of Spaniards and Indians across the gulf of Uraba to the Darien peninsula. Balboa headed an overland to some very dense rainforsets. While they were going through there, they had some fights with local Indians, and also burned down one village, killing a lot of people. Balboa, from the peak of Panama, was the first to see eastern part of the Pacific Ocean -
Sep 1, 1514
Jacques Cartier
a French navigator, sailed up the St. Lawrence river, and claimed eastern Canada for France -
Jan 1, 1517
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand offered to find Spain a western route to the Indies, the the king accepted the offer. He wanted Spain to become wealthy like Portugal. He commanded five ships. Magellan renamed the Great South Sea into the Pacific Ocean. Though the voyage he lost two ships and the conditions were horrible. The crew suffered from scurvy and went to the Philippines. They had war and most were killed and only one ship left. Lastly, Magellan traveled across the world and Columbus was in America not Asia. -
Jan 1, 1519
Hernan Cortez
Hernan Cortez invaded Mexico. He conquered destroyed the Native American empire. Cortez got lots of gold from them and sent it back to Spain. He took part in the Cuban conquest. The aztecs treated Cortez well but he feared they'd get rid of him. He was forced to give up his govenors job and started rebuilding Mexico. Finally, he spent a lot of time exploring the Baja California Peninsula and the Pacific Coast of Mexico. -
Sep 1, 1524
Giovanni Verrazano
Verrazano sailed along the Altantic coast from North Carolina to New York. while seacrhing for a northwest passage to Asia. -
Jan 1, 1527
Francisco Pizzaro
Francisco Pizzaro invaded Peru. Within five years, he conquered the Inca Empire. He took treasures of gold and silver from the Native Americans. He and his men then headed for the coast, where they built Lima, the City of the Kings. He went on many expeditions and discovered many things and brought gold along with him from different places. In conclusion, Pizzaro was granted the title general and govenor. -
Jan 1, 1528
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
He left Spain for a royal expendition to ouccpy the mainland in North America. After they were hit with a Hurricane on the shore of Cuba, they got a new boat and went to Florida. they landed west of Florida on the now Tampa Bay, which Cabeza de Vaca claimed the land for Spain. -
Jan 1, 1542
Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo
Juan Cabrillo explored the Pacific Coast to Drake's Bay near San Francisco. He led the first expedition to explore what is now the west coast of the United States. He also helped the increasing of Spains empire by importing and exports of goods. Cabrillo went on many voyages or expeditons. Lastly, during fight with the natives he broke his leg and died from complications. -
May 18, 1567
Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake wanted to find an undiscovered continent in the Pacific. He led several trading voyages into the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico from England. He took five ships on a secret mission ordered by Queen Elizabeth. He captured a vessel and gave it to his friend. Sailed on the strait of Magellen and cought in a storm. He was blew off course and decided to head for South America and get tresures. He headed back and claimed England. He was called a national hero for his voyage. -
John Davis
John Davis explored the west coast of Greenland in search of northwest passage to Asia. He went on many voyages and traveled through the arctic and mainly around Greenland. -
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was sent by the dutch to locate the passage. He was skilled navigator and he explored the Hudson river and sailed what is now Albany, New York. Then, he set out on a second voyage and became lost in a storm. Then he was never seen again. In conclusion, his first voyage gave the Dutch their claim in the Americas.
