Great Explorers
 European whose descriptions
of the riches of China made
traders want to go to Asia.
Marco Polo
 Leader of First Europeans to
visit the Americas
Leif Eriksson
 Portuguese explorer who
found a sea route to Asia by
sailing around Africa
Vasco da Gama
 Portuguese explorer who
was the first European to sail
around the southern tip of
Africa.
Bartholomeu Dias
 Italian explorer who figured
out that Columbus had not
reached Asia.
Amerigo Vespucci
 European who proved it was
possible to reach Asia by
sailing west from Europe
Ferdinand Magellan
 Leader of the Spanish
conquistadors who
conquered the Aztecs
Hernando Cortes
 Spanish conquistador who
ordered his soldiers to kill the
Inca Emperor
Francisco Pizzaro
 Spanish explorer who looked
for the Fountain of Youth and
named for present-day
Florida.
Juan Ponce de Leon
 Explorer who claimed for
Spain all of what is today the
southeastern United States.
Hernando de Soto
 Explorer who founded
Quebec and Montreal.
Samuel de Champlain