Timeline of Explorers

By Lil_
  • 1000

    Leif Ericson

    [- 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.]
  • Period: 1405 to 1433

    Zheng He

    [- 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]
  • 1492

    Christopher Columbus

    [- 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]
  • 1497

    Vasco de Gama

    [- 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]
  • 1497

    John Cabot

    [- 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]
  • 1499

    Amerigo Vespucci

    [- 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]
  • 1504

    Hernan Cortez

    [- 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]
  • 1511

    Hernan Cortez

    [- 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]
  • 1513

    Juan Ponce de Leon

    [- 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]
  • 1513

    Vasco Nunez de Balboa

    [- 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]
  • 1518

    Hernan Cortez

    [- 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]
  • Period: 1519 to 1522

    Ferdinand Magellan

    [- 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]
  • 1520

    Giovani de Verrazano

    [- 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]
  • 1524

    Francisco Pizzaro

    [- 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.]
  • 1527

    Panfilo de Narvaez

    [- 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]
  • 1528

    Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

    [- 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]
  • 1528

    Giovani de Verrazano

    [- 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]
  • 1534

    Jaquez Cartier

    [- 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]
  • 1535

    Francisco Vasquez de Coronedo

    [- 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]
  • 1538

    Hernando de Soto

    [- 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]
  • 1541

    Jaquez Cartier

    [- 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]
  • 1554

    Francisco Vasquez de Coronedo

    [- 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]
  • 1562

    Jean Ribault

    [- 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]
  • 1565

    Jean Ribault

    [- 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

    [- 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

    [- 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]
  • Period: to

    Robert Cavelier de la Salle

    [- 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’]