Timeline of Explorers

Leif Ericson

1000

[- Voyage: Around 1000
- Country of Origin: Norway
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: King Olaf Tryggvason
- Motivation: Spread Christianity
- Explored: Greenland, Vinland (Blown West on the way back due to a storm)
- Accomplishments: Discovery of a new land and the spread of Christianity
- Every year on October 9th, Leif Ericson is honored for the belief that he was the first one to step foot in America.]

Zheng He

Period: 1405 to 1433

[- Voyage: 1405- 1433
- Country of Origin: China
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: China
- Motivation: Claim control of Indian Ocean Trade, Military Reasons and to show off the power of China
- Explored: Vietnam, India, Africa
- Accomplishments: Collected Tributes for Emperor, Controlled the Indian Ocean Trade
- The ships that Zheng He used were called "junks" which were much wider and larger than the European's ship]

Christopher Columbus

1492

[- Voyage: 1492
- Country of Origin: Italy
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
- Motivation: Trade for Spices, Gold/Riches, New Trade Routes and Spread Christianity
- Explored: America
- Accomplishments: Lead first European expeditions to the Caribbean, Central America and South America (Europeans could colonize the Americas)
- When Columbus died he was first buried in Spain then his remains moved to Santo Domingo (in the New World) then back to Spain]

Vasco de Gama

1497

[- Voyage: 1497
- Country of Origin: Portugal
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: King Manuel l
- Motivation: Direct route to India for trade (Spices)
- Explored: Find a sea route between Asia and Europe
- Accomplishments: Linked Asia and Europe through sea, led the Portuguese expedition to India and was report ably the first European to reach India by sea
- Vasco had one daughter and six sons. His second born son later became the governor of Portuguese India]

John Cabot

1497

[- Voyage: 1497
- Country of Origin: Italy
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: England
- Motivation: Test to see if he could sail westward to get to Asia
- Explored: North East coastal areas of North America
- Accomplishments: Claimed part of Canada for England
-The date of his death is unknown, as he disappeared sometime in 1498]

Amerigo Vespucci

1499

[- Voyage: 1499
- Country of Origin: Italian
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella (1st Voyage) and King Manuel I (2nd Voyage)
- Motivation: Inspired by other explorers to see the new world
- Explored:West Indies, Central America, Cape Verde,
- Accomplishments: Discovered the Amazon River, Cape St. Augustine, present-day Rio de Janeiro and Rio de la Plata
- Vespucci was pressured by his Father to go into business and complied]

Hernan Cortez

1504

[- Voyage: 1504, 1511 and 1518
- Country of Origin: Spain
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: Financed himself by selling his properties in Cuba
- Motivation: Commanded to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization
- Explored: Mexico
- Accomplishments: Defeated the Aztecs and claimed Mexico for Spain
- Cortez married the sister-in-law of governor Velasquez while living in Cuba and had a child with his interpreter Dona Marina]

Hernan Cortez

1511

[- Voyage: 1504, 1511 and 1518
- Country of Origin: Spain
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: Financed himself by selling his properties in Cuba

- Motivation: Commanded to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization
- Explored: Mexico
- Accomplishments: Defeated the Aztecs and claimed Mexico for Spain
- Cortez married the sister-in-law of governor Velasquez while living in Cuba and had a child with his interpreter Dona Marina]

Juan Ponce de Leon

1513

[- Voyage: 1513
- Country of Origin: Spain
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: King Ferdinand
- Motivation: Search for Gold and the rumored Fountain of Youth
- Explored: Bimini and (present day) Florida
- Accomplishments: Founded Florida
- Shot and Killed by the Colusa tribe with a poison arrow]

Vasco Nunez de Balboa

1513

[- Voyage: 1513
- Country of Origin: Spain
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: King Ferdinand
- Motivation: Search for Gold and a new sea route to the south
- Explored: Coast of present-day Colombia, Haiti and Dominican Republic
- Accomplishments: Helped establish first stable settlement in South America, crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean and first European to lead an expedition to have seen/reached the Pacific from the New World
- Same birthplace as Hernando de Soto]

Hernan Cortez

1518

[- Voyage: 1504, 1511 and 1518
- Country of Origin: Spain
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: Financed himself by selling his properties in Cuba

- Motivation: Commanded to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization
- Explored: Mexico
- Accomplishments: Defeated the Aztecs and claimed Mexico for Spain
- Cortez married the sister-in-law of governor Velasquez while living in Cuba and had a child with his interpreter Dona Marina]

Ferdinand Magellan

Period: 1519 to 1522

[- Voyage: 1519- 1522
- Country of Origin: Portugal
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: King Charles I
- Motivation: Search for a route to the Spice Islands
- Explored: The World
- Accomplishments: Discovered (what is now known as) the Strait of Magellan, first to circumnavigate the globe and became the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean
- Magellan's knee was wounded in battle, causing him to walk with a limp]

Giovani de Verrazano

1520

[- Voyage: 1520’s, 1528
- Country of Origin: Italy
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: France
- Motivation: Find a passage to the Pacific from North America
- Explored: New York Harbor, second voyage, South Americas
- Accomplishments: Found New York Harbor
- Was killed and eaten by the Natives of the lower Antilles]

Francisco Pizzaro

1524

[- Voyage: 1524
- Country of Origin: Spain
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: Diego de Almagro
- Motivation: Search of riches in South America
- Explored: Pacific coast of America along Peru
- Accomplishments: Discovered the Incan empire and conquered it
- He was the second cousin once removed of Hernan Cortez, the conquistador who conquered the Aztecs in Mexico.]

Panfilo de Narvaez

1527

[- Voyage: 1527
- Country of Origin: Spain
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: King Charles V
- Motivation: Exploration and Colonization to establish colonial settlements and garrisons in Florida
- Explored: America
- Accomplishments: Led a Spanish royal expedition to North America (explore and colonize)
- Narvaez is mostly remembered for his two failed expeditions that led to the memoirs and exploits of Cabeza de Vaca]

Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

1528

[- Voyage: 1528, returned to Mexico in 1536
- Country of Origin: Spain
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: Spain
- Motivation: Was treasurer and Marshall of the voyage
- Explored: Discovered Texas and a route from Texas to Mexico
- Accomplishments:
-His surname means cow head]

Giovani de Verrazano

1528

[- Voyage: 1520’s, 1528
- Country of Origin: Italy
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: France
- Motivation: Find a passage to the Pacific from North America
- Explored: New York Harbor, second voyage, South Americas
- Accomplishments: Found New York Harbor
- Was killed and eaten by the Natives of the lower Antilles]

Jaquez Cartier

1534

[- Voyage: 1534, 1541
- Country of Origin: France
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: France
- Motivation: New route to Asia and riches
- Explored: St. Lawrence River
- Accomplishments: Claimed part of Canada for France
-Captured Iroquoians Chiefs and other Indians]

Francisco Vasquez de Coronedo

1535

[- Voyage: 1535, 1554
- Country of Origin: Spain
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: Spain
- Motivation: Find the city of gold
- Explored: Present-day Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas
- Accomplishments: Found the Grand Canyon
-He was charged with war crimes]

Hernando de Soto

1538

[- Voyage: 1538
- Country of Origin: Spain
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: Spain
- Motivation: He wanted to conquer the Amazon River and wanted fame
- Explored: Nicaragua, Yucatan Peninsula
- Accomplishments: Aided in the conquest of the Inca
-His parents wanted him to become a lawyer]

Jaquez Cartier

1541

[- Voyage: 1534, 1541
- Country of Origin: France
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: France
- Motivation: New route to Asia and riches
- Explored: St. Lawrence River
- Accomplishments: Claimed part of Canada for France
-Captured Iroquoians Chiefs and other Indians]

Francisco Vasquez de Coronedo

1554

[- Voyage: 1535, 1554
- Country of Origin: Spain
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: Spain
- Motivation: Find the city of gold
- Explored: Present-day Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas
- Accomplishments: Found the Grand Canyon
-He was charged with war crimes]

Jean Ribault

1562

[- Voyage: 1562, 1565
- Country of Origin: France
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: France
- Motivation: He was chosen
- Explored: Florida
- Accomplishments: Claimed most of Florida and South Carolina for France
- He was caught in the French war of religion, and was forced to wait to return]

Jean Ribault

1565

[- Voyage: 1562, 1565
- Country of Origin: France
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: France
- Motivation: He was chosen
- Explored: Florida
- Accomplishments: Claimed most of Florida and South Carolina for France
- He was caught in the French war of religion, and was forced to wait to return]

Henry Hudson

1607

[- Voyage: 1607
- Country of Origin: England
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: Muscovy company
- Motivation: Finding a trade route westward from England to Asia
- Explored: He tried to find the Northwest passage
- Accomplishments: Found the Hudson river
- He went on 4 voyages, all of which were unsuccessful

Jaquez Marquette

1666

[- Voyage: 1666
- Country of Origin: France
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: France
- Motivation: Was a Jesuit missionary, and was sent to spread the religion
- Explored: Michigan
- Accomplishments: Founded Missions
- Learned 6 native American languages and the Huron language]

Robert Cavelier de la Salle

Period: 1667 to 1687

[- Voyage: 1667-1687
- Country of Origin: France
- Person/Country that Financed the Voyage: France
- Motivation: Wanted to join his Missionary brother, as he was one too
- Explored: Illinois and Mississippi rivers
- Accomplishments: Found the great lakes region, and explored it

- He left the Jesuit Society because of ‘Moral weaknesses’]