Viking Discovery in the New
World
Erik the Red
Leif Erikkson
Erik the Red landing in Iceland
Viking Ship
Prince Henry the Navigator- (Portugal) set up a center for exploration.
Astronomers, geographers, and mathematicians all gathered in one place
to share ideas. Really laid the groundwork for the Age of Exploration.
Bartholomew Dias- (Portugal)- Sailed around the southern tip of
Africa and named it Cape of Good Hope. Wanted to continue to
India to be the first European explorer to establish an all water trade
route with Asia, but his crew mutinied and turned around.
Vasco de Gama- (Portugal)- Followed Dias’ route to the Cape of Good
Hope then continued up the east coast of Africa all the way to India.
The first European to make this all water voyage to Asia and establish
trade with India. His voyage was so important, most people forgot
about Columbus.
Amerigo Vespucci- (Portugal)- Explored east coast of South America. He
was the first person to suggest the lands found and discovered by Columbus
and John Cabot had discovered were actually new, unknown lands. A
German map maker eventually named the two new continents after him,
and the name “America” has stuck ever since
Christopher Columbus
European Voyages of Exploration: Christopher Columbus
Three Ships, sailing for Spain- Santa María, Pinta (the Painted) and Santa Clara,
nicknamed Niña (the Girl).
Four Voyages- Looking for all water route to Asia by going west instead of around Africa
Led to widespread European exploration and colonization in North and South America
Died disgraced and poor never knowing he had found land previously unknown to Europe
Columbian Exchange - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Juan Ponce de Leon- (Spain)- “Discovered” Florida. He was
searching for the Fountain of Youth. He was eventually killed by
Native Americans many years later.
Vasco Núñez De Balboa- (Spain)- Arrived in Panama as a
stowaway onboard a Spanish ship. He gathered a group of people
to hack through the Panamanian jungle in search of another ocean.
He traveled 45 miles to find what he called the South Sea. Later, it
was renamed the Pacific Ocean. He was the first European to see
this body of water.
Hernán(do) Cortés- (Spain)- Conquered the Aztec Empire and
killed their leader- Montezuma. He robbed the Aztecs of their
gold, silver and jewels. Many Aztecs were killed by the weapons
of Cortez and his Conquistadors, but disease played a much larger
role in conquering the Aztecs.
Ferdinand Magellan- (Spain)- Found a strait at the tip of South
America that now bears his name- Strait of Magellan. When he
passed through this strait he became the first European to sail on
the ocean Balboa had named the South Sea. Magellan renamed it
the Pacific Ocean because the waters were so calm and peaceful.
He eventually sailed to the Philippines where he was killed in a
conflict with the natives. His crew continued and became the first
crew to ever circumnavigate the earth. Of the original 300 sailors,
only 18 survived the entire journey. His journey proved many
things:
1.
The earth is a sphere and Asia could be reached by sailing west.
2.
The earth was larger than people thought.
3.
There is more water than land on earth.
4.
The lands “discovered” by Columbus and Cabot were indeed new
continents, not just islands.
5.
There was no passage south through the continents, so future
explorers would have to search north for an all water route through
the Americas.
Francisco Pizarro- (Spain)- Heard of an empire even wealthier than the
Aztecs farther south. Assembled 200 men and traveled to present-day Peru
to conquer the Inca. He easily did this, took their valuables, and claimed
Peru as part of the Spanish empire.
Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca- (Spain)- In an expedition with Panfilo
de Narvaez to explore the Southeastern US. He was one of 4 men
out of 800 who survived this 8 year expedition from Florida to Texas.
His name translates to Head of Cow.
Hernando de Soto- (Spain)- He was the first European to see the
Mississippi River. He was looking through the southeastern part of
what is now the US for riches like Cortez and Pizarro. He died of
fever in 1541, and his men dropped his body into the Mississippi to
hide it from natives.
Francisco Coronado- (Spain)- His quest was to find
Cibola- the Seven Cities of Gold. He had heard that gold
was so plentiful there, the natives used it for everyday
items like tools. He had also heard the streets were
paved with gold. After two years of searching the
deserts in what is now the southwestern US, he found
Cibola. It was nothing more than a poor native village.
He returned to Mexico with just 100 of his original 300
men.
Jacques Cartier- (France)- Searched the east coast of North America
looking for the Northwest Passage. He “discovered” and explored the
St. Lawrence River. He claimed the land for France and named it New
France. This land is now known as Canada.
Samuel de Champlain- (France)- Also searched New France for a
Northwest Passage. He established the city of Quebec. He explored
the Great Lakes and made extensive maps of the area. He inspired
many French people and other Europeans to want to settle in the New
World. He also traded with and befriended the natives while living
among them.
Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet –(France)- Explored the
Mississippi River all the way to Arkansas. Father Marquette
converted many natives to Catholicism on the journey while Joliet
made detailed maps of the Mississippi. Their voyage proved the
Mississippi flowed to the Gulf of Mexico and not the Pacific.
Robert de LaSalle- (France)- He explored the entire length of the
Mississippi River. He claimed the entire Mississippi Valley for France.
He named the new territory Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV of
France. He also “discovered” and explored some of the Ohio River.
Sir Francis Drake- (England)- He was the first Englishman to
circumnavigate the earth. He was also the Vice Admiral of the navy
when it defeated the Spanish Armada. This established English sea
supremacy. The Spanish know him as a pirate who stole many of their
gold-laden ships.
John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto)- (England)- He is believed to be the
first European since the Vikings to go ashore on the mainland of
North America. The English used this “discovery” to lay claim to
all of North America.
Henry Hudson- (Holland)- Searched for Northwest Passage.
Explored Hudson River and Hudson Bay. Thought the Hudson Bay
was the NW Passage. When his men discovered it wasn’t, they set
Hudson and his son adrift in the icy waters never to be heard from
again. Holland used his discoveries to claim land in what is now New
York. They eventually established a colony called New Amsterdampresent-day New York.