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Christopher Columbus set sail on January 16, 1492 on the Nina. Christopher Columbus was trying to find a new trade route to Asia. After about three months of sailing, Christopher Columbus and his crew hit land. Christopher Columbus and his crew were the first Europeans to sail to North America.
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In 1518, Cortés was in command of an expedition to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization. In 1521, Hernan Cortés conquered the Aztec Indians and formally claimed the land that was once the Aztec Indians for the Spanish.
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In 1542, Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo led an expedition to New Spain. Juan also tried to look for a waterway through North America.
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In 1518, Cortés was in command of an expedition to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization. In 1521, Hernan Cortés conquered the Aztec Indians and formally claimed the land that was once the Aztec Indians for the Spanish.
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In 1601, the Spanish Viceroy in Mexico City, appointed Vizcaíno general-in-charge of an expedition to locate safe harbors in Alta California for Spanish Galleons to use on their return voyage. He was also given the command to map in detail the California coastline that Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo had first explored 60 years earlier.
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In July 1728, Vitus Bering who explored for Russia, set sail aboard the ship Gabriel and found a narrow body of water between Asia and North America which is now called Bering Strait.
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In 1769, Jose de Galvez sent settlers to start a Spanish colony in Alta California to keep other European countries out of California. He had to take charge of the missions in order to allow the Franciscan Order to concentrate on finding new missions in Alta California.
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In 1769, Gaspara de Portola led the expedition planned by Jose de Galvez. The expedition was to keep other European countries out of California. Spain was driven to establish missions and other outposts in Alta California out of fear that the territory would be claimed by either the English or Russians.
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In 1769, Juniperro Serra, was a Roman Catholic Priest who wanted to come to Alta California to teach a religion. Juniperro created a lot of the missions in California such as Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo, Mission San Antonio de Padua, Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Mission San Francisco de Asís, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and Mission San Buenaventura.
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In 1778, James Cook explored the Northern Pacific to find another water route through North America from England to Alta California. He never found the water route that he was looking for because the water route had never existed.
