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Portugal was the first country to send voyagers in large portions to explor new lands. This was begun largly by the acts of Prince Henry the Navigator. Prince Henry himself wasn't an actuall explorer. He was more of a leader to those who wished to explore new lands. He sent expeditions to the islands of the Atlantic, and the Western Coast of Africa.
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Bartholomeu Dias was the first Europian to sail around the Southern tip of Africa. Dias sailed for Portugal. Dias and his crew might have sailed farther, but fierce storms forced them to turn back. Dias takes credit for discovering what is now today called the Cape of Good Hope.
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Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain, and generally discovered the Americas. The King and Queen of Spain agreed to pay for his voyages West. Columbus belived that by sailing West, he would round the world, and end up in China. He ened up landing in what he would eventually call the Indies, which were several islands in Central America.
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Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer that set out for India in 1497. On his voyage, he stopped at several African ports, where he learned that that Muslim merchants were already involved in the trade. His journey took about 10 months, before da Gama and his crew finally landed in India.
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John Cabot sailed for England, to the Atlantic Coast of what is now Canada
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Pedro Cabral's voyage was greatly influenced by Vasco da Gama's trip to India. Cabral sailed also for Portugal. He sailed far to the West to avoid the Gulf of Guinea. He and his men discovered what would eventually become Brazil.
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Amerigo Vespucci sailed along the coast of South America for Spain, and discovered that the land he was at was not Asia, but a new land all together. Unlike Christopher Columbus, Vespucci actually claimed this new land, which is why America is namead after him.
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Balboa led an expedition across the Isthmus of Panama for Spain. Balboa became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.
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Ferdinand and his crew was the first to sail completely around the world. He sailed for the Spanish.
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Cortes led an expedtition to Mexico that resulted in the conquest of the Aztec Empire.
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Though the Hudson river was named after Henry Hudson, it was actually discovered years earlier than it was by Henry Hudson, by Giovanni da Verazzano.
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Francisco Pizarro led an expedition to Peru. He hoped to win some of the wealth there for himself. Pizarro sailed for Spain.
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Jacques Cartier sailed for France, sailing past the island of Newfoundland, into the St. Lawrence River.
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Sir Francis Drake sailed for England, around the tip of South America, to explore it's West coast.
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Henry Hudson was a Dutch-born sailor that sailed for England. He sailed North, hoping to find a Northeast passage around Europe. Although, he found nothing but ice, so he had to return to Europe.
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Samuel de Champlain sailed for France, and discovered the city of Quebec.
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Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch, set out once again to find a Northeastern passage around Asia. Although he was yet again unsuccessful. He instead sailed west to find a Northwest passage through the Americas.
