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100
leon
he king of Spain encouraged the explorers. He offered large sums of money, called grants, to those who led expeditions. These Spanish explorers and soldiers became known as conquistadors (kahn•KEES•tah•dawrz), or "conquerors."
One of these conquistadors was Juan Ponce de León (POHN•say day lay•OHN). He had sailed with Columbus on his second voyage. Later, he helped conquer Puerto Rico. While in Puerto Rico, de León heard about an island to the north called Bimini (BIH•muh•nee). He also may have -
Aug 9, 1011
cabot
In England, King Henry VII heard of Columbus´s success for Spain. The king paid an Italian sailor, Giovanni Caboto, to lead an expedition sailing west across the Atlantic. The English called him John Cabot. King Henry´s aim was to help England compete with other European nations for land and wealth.
In May 1497, Cabot and a crew of 18 sailed west on a course far north of Columbus´s first route. After a long, slow journey, they reached land on June 24. Once on shore, Cabot claimed the land for En -
Balboa
After Balboa arrived, he met the survivors of a failed Spanish settlement. Later, he helped them take land from Native American groups and start a settlement in what is now the country of Panama. Balboa heard about a huge ocean to the west. In 1513, Balboa and other explorers made their way west across the Isthmus of Panama, which connects North America and South America. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two large land areas. In time, Balboa´s group reached the Pacific Ocean. -
cartiar
The French king, Francis I, was one of the many European rulers who wanted to find the Northwest Passage through North America. In 1524, he sent an Italian sailor, Giovanni da Verrazano, to find it. -
northwest passge
By the early 1500s, Spain ruled over a large and very rich empire. Spanish ships returned from the Americas with treasure chests full of gold and silver. New expeditions also added to Spain´s growing land claims. The rulers of other European countries still wanted to find a shortcut to Asia so that they too could gain wealth and power. -
the freach in north amaercia
Verrazano set sail in January 1524. He landed on the coast of what is now North Carolina in early March. Verrazano then sailed farther north along the Atlantic coast. He sailed into several bays and rivers, searching for a waterway that led to Asia. Along his route, Verrazano met different Native American tribes. He could not speak their languages. He wrote that some tribes were friendly, but others were not.
Verrazano did not sail any farther north than Newfoundland. He wrote:
“My intention [ai -
new spian
By the 1500s, several European nations, including Spain, had sent explorers to claim land in the Americas. Most explorers stepped onto a beach and claimed the land for hundreds of miles around. They knew little about the lands they were claiming. After claiming the lands, these explorers moved on. No one stayed behind to protect the claims. Competing Claims
The European countries were competing with each other to win control of as much of the Americas as possible. Often more than one country cl -
uuu
ne of the most popular books during the Renaissance was The Travels of Marco Polo. Written almost 200 years earlier, it tells of Marco Polo´s voyage to Cathay, as China was then called.
Europeans were amazed to read about Chinese inventions such as gunpowder and the compass—a tool for finding directions.
European merchants were interested in the riches Marco Polo wrote about. They wanted to buy and then resell Asian goods such as silks and spices. Soon traders from Europe began traveling the lon -
finding a better route
The route followed by Magellan´s expe-dition around South America to Asia was long and dangerous.
Many peoplethought that Asia might be reached more easily by sailing through or around North America. This belief led explorers to search for a route they called the Northwest Passage.
The first country to find this waterway would control an important new trade route between Europe and Asia and gain great riches. Some European countries sent explorers to look for the Northwest Passage. The search be -
hudsons voage
By the 1600s, exploration was big business. Kings and queens were no longer the only ones paying for expeditions. European trading companies also began sending explorers to look for the Northwest Passage. Their goal was to set up trade routes.
An English explorer named Henry Hudson made four voyages in search of the Northwest Passage. A company in England paid for his first two expeditions. In 1608, on his first voyage, Hudson reached an island east of Greenland. He then sailed farther north thr