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Lief Erikson was a Viking and was one of the first people to land in the Americas after his ship was blown off coarse during a storm while sailing to Iceland.
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Henry was the prince of Portugal and was also the person who sailed the coast of Africa. He sailed for Portugal to find new lands and trade routes. He created a school for navigation where he taught map making, astronomy, and how to sail.
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Bartolomeu Dias sailed for Portugal in 1488 southward to the tip of Africa. When he made landfall he called it the Cape of Despair which they named the Cape of Good Hope so that people would actually want to sail there.
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Columbus's voyages led to the new exchange between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.He sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to try and sail west to find a trade route to Asia from Europe. He later landed in the Caribbean thinking it was Europe until his death.
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Vasco de Gama sailed for Portugal in 1497 around the Cape of Good Hope and the tip of Africa to India winning Portugal the European race to discover a trade route to India for Spices. Making Portugal in charge of the spice trade which angered Europe so they went out on an exploration which ended up finding the Americas.
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Cabot was an Italian sailer who sailed for the English. He was searching for a sea passage to the Pacific Ocean which this later led to Europe claiming North America.
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Amerigo realized that Columbus never actually landed in the new world so he set sail to go and find the actual Americas, leading to the name of the Americas after him.
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Vasco was the first Spanish explorer to discover the Pacific Ocean.
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Juan was a Spanish explorer who who sailed for a European expedition. He explored Florida, North Carolina, and searched for the fountain of youth. He later governed Puerto Rico.
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Ferdinand Magellan headed on a journey to circumnavigate the world in 1519.
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Hernando was A European Explorer who landed on the coast of Florida being the first to discover Florida, North Carolina, and even found the Mississippi river. Even though La Salle had already claimed it for France. Hernando de Soto sailed for the Spanish crown.
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Cortes was a Conquistador for Spain. In 1519 he conquered the Aztec and explored modern day Mexico. He sailed for the Spanish crown.
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Pizzaro was a Spanish conquistador.. He explored South America and also explored the Andes Mountains where he found the Inca Empire which he conquered. This later led to the Spainsh conquest in Peru.
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Alvar sailed for Spain and explored the southwest of North America. He sailed in search of the seven cities of gold. While doing this he shipwrecked on the coast of Texas and was one of the first Europeans to explore the southwest.
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Cartier was a Frenchman who sailed the St. Lawrence river. He sailed and landed in Montreal and which lead to France claiming portions of North America.
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Coronado was a Spanish explorer who traveled through the southwestern parts of North America. His main goal was to find cities of gold after he heard stories of cities of gold while he was governing a city in Mexico. He was the first European to discover the Grand Canyon.
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Cabrillo was a Portuguese sailor who mapped most of the US. He sailed for the Spanish crown and was the first European to set foot in California.
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Henry Hudson was an English captain and led the Dutch expedition to New York. He explored Amsterdam and was it was because of Hudson's expeditions that led to the naming of the Hudson River.
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Hudson's crew decided to throw him overboard after they ran out of food and supplies. They then returned to Europe and where charged and arrested with mutiny.
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Champlain mapped the coast of Canada and the great lakes, and was also the first Frenchman to establish a settlement in Canada which is now modern day Quebec.
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La Salle was a french explorer set out to to claim lands in the new world for france. When he landed at the Mississippi River he said that France now owned all land that connected to that river and any river that went into it. Which without him even know claimed France a ton of land.
