Explorers from the 1400's - the Fifteenth Century
HENRY THE
NAVIGATOR
Prince Henry (Henrique)
the Navigator (13941460) was a Portuguese
royal prince, soldier, and
patron of explorers.
Henry sent many sailing
expeditions down
Africa's west coast, but
did not go on them himself. Thanks to Prince Henry's patronage, Portuguese ships sailed
to the Madeira Islands (1420), rounded Cape Bojador (Eannes, 1434), sailed to Cape
Blanc (1441), sailed around Cap Vert (1455), and went as far as the Gambia River
(Cadamosto, 1456) and Cape Palmas (Gomes, 1459-1460).
DIAS, BARTOLOMEU
Bartolomeu Dias (1457-1500) was a
great Portuguese navigator and explorer
who explored Africa's coast. In 1488,
Dias led the first European expedition to
sail around Africa's Cape of Good Hope,
leaving Tagus, Portugal in 1487. This
breakthrough of circumnavigating the
Cape of Good Hope opened up lucrative
trading routes from Europe to Asia. Dias
may have originally called the southern tip of Africa the "Cape of Storms"; it was later
renamed the Cape of Good Hope. On a later expedition (in 1500, with Pedro Álvares
Cabral), Dias sailed near South America on the way to Africa, and spotted land at
Espírito Santo in Brazil, calling it the "Land of the True Cross." Although they thought it
to be an island, Dias was still among the first Europeans to see Brazil. Dias died during
this expedition; he was lost at sea near the Cape of Good Hope in 1500.
COLUMBUS, CHRISTOPHER
Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was
an Italian explorer who sailed across the
Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a
route to India (in order to trade for
spices). He made a total of four trips to
the Caribbean and South America during the years 14921504, sailing for King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain. On his first trip,
Columbus led an expedition with three ships, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.
DA GAMA, VASCO
Vasco da Gama (14601524) was a Portuguese
explorer who found a
route from Spain to the
East. He sailed from
Lisbon, Portugal, around
Africa's Cape of Good
Hope, to India (and back)
in 1497-1499. At that
time, many people thought that it was impossible to do this since they thought that the
Indian Ocean was not connected to any other seas. His patron was King Manuel I of
Portugal, who sent da Gama, now an Admiral, on another expedition to India (15021503). After King Manuel's death, King John III sent da Gama to India as a Portuguese
viceroy (the King's representative in India). Da Gama died in India in 1524.
CABOT, JOHN
John Cabot (1450-1499) was born in
Italy but moved to England in 1495. At
the request of King Henry VII of
England, Cabot sailed to Canada in 1497,
and landed near Labrador,
Newfoundland, or Cape Breton Island
(the exact spot is uncertain) on June 24,
1497. He claimed the land for England.
Cabot explored the Canadian coastline
and named many of its islands and capes. The mission's purpose was to search for a
Northwest passage across North America to Asia (a seaway to Asia). Cabot was
unsuccessful, although he thought that he had reached northeastern Asia.
Cabot undertook a second, larger expedition in 1498. On this trip, Cabot may have
reached America, but that is uncertain. Cabot's expeditions were the first of Britain's
claims to Canada.
VESPUCCI, AMERIGO
Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) was an Italian explorer who was the first
person to realize that the Americas were separate from the continent of
Asia. America was named for him in 1507, when the German mapmaker
Martin Waldseemüller, printed the first map that used the name America for
the New World.
On his first expedition (sailing for Spain, 1499-1500), Vespucci was the navigator under
under the command of Alonso de Ojeda. On this trip, Ojeda and Vespucci discovered the
mouth of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers in South America, thinking it was part of Asia.
On his second expedition (sailing for Portugal, 1501-02) he mapped some of the eastern
coast of South America, and came to realize that it not part of Asia, but a New World.
Explorers from 1501-1550: the Early Sixteenth Century
BALBOA,
VASCO
NUNEZ DE
Vasco Nunez de
Balboa (14751519) was a
Spanish
conquistador and
explorer. He was
the first European to see the eastern part of
the Pacific Ocean (in 1513), after crossing
the Isthmus of Panama overland.
CARTIER, JACQUES
Jacques Cartier (1491-1557)
was a French explorer who
led three expeditions to
Canada, in 1534, 1535, and
1541. He was looking for a
route to the Pacific through
North America (a Northwest
Passage) but did not find one. Cartier paved the
way for French exploration of North America.
Cartier sailed inland, going 1,000 miles up the St. Lawrence River. He also tried to start a
settlement in Quebec (in 1541), but it was abandoned after a terribly cold winter. Cartier
named Canada; "Kanata" means village or settlement in the Huron-Iroquois language.
Cartier was given directions by Huron-Iroquois Indians for the route to "kanata," a village
near what is now Quebec, but Cartier later named the entire region Canada.
CORTES, HERNAN
Hernán Cortés (also spelled Cortez), Marqués Del Valle De
Oaxaca (1485-1547) was a Spanish adventurer and
conquistador (he was also a failed law student) who
overthrew the Aztec empire and claimed Mexico for Spain
(1519-21).
Cortes sailed with 11 ships from Cuba to the Yucatan
Peninsula to look for gold, silver, and other treasures.
Hearing rumors of great riches, Cortés traveled inland and "discovered" Tenochtitlan, the
capital of the Aztec empire. He then brutally killed the Aztec emperor Montezuma and
conquered his Aztec Empire of Mexico, claiming all of Mexico for Spain in 1521.
Treasures from the Aztecs were brought to Spain, and Cortés was a hero in his homeland.
Cortés was appointed governor of the colony of New Spain, but eventually fell out of
favor with the royals. He then returned to Spain where he died a few years later.
PIZARRO, FRANCISCO
Francisco Pizarro (1478-1541) was a Spanish conquistador who
traveled through much of the Pacific coast of America along
Peru. He "discovered" the Incan empire and conquered it
brutally and quickly, stealing immense hoards of gold, silver,
and other treasures.
Pizarro landed at San Mateo Bay in 1532. After traveling
through desert and snow-capped mountains, Pizarro and his men (who included
Hernando de Soto) arrived at Cajamarca (in 1533), where they captured Atahuallpa, the
13th and last emperor of the Incas. Atahuallpa had just won a civil war against his halfbrother (Huáscar), and had executed Huáscar and his family. Atahuallpa had invited
Pizarro to a celebratory feast, thinking that the Spanish were not much of a threat. Pizarro
ambushed Atahuallpa and killed thousands of his men. Atahuallpa offered a huge ransom
for his own release, but Pizarro took the treasure and had Atahuallpa strangled on Aug.
29, 1533; this was the end of the Incan empire.
After looting and generally destroying the Incan capital of Cusco, Pizarro founded Lima
(which he called Ciudad de los Reyes, which means "City of the Kings"). Pizarro was
assassinated in Lima, Peru, in 1541, by followers of Pedro de Almagro (Cortes' captain)
who wanted to seize Lima for its riches.
DE LEON, PONCE
Juan Ponce de Leon (1460?-1521) was a Spanish explorer and
soldier who was the first European to set foot in Florida. He
also established the oldest European settlement in Puerto Rico
and discovered the Gulf Stream (a current in the Atlantic
Ocean). Ponce de Leon was searching for the legendary
fountain of youth and other riches.
CORONADO, FRANCISCO VASQUEZ DE
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado (1510-1554) was a
Spanish ruler, explorer and conquistador. He was the
first European to explore North America's Southwest.
Coronado was a governor of New Galicia, a western
province of Mexico. He searched fruitlessly for
treasure that was rumored to exist in northern Mexico: the fabled seven Golden Cities of
Cibola. With a group of hundreds of Spaniards and enslaved natives, he traveled through
what is now northern Mexico and the southwestern USA (including Arizona, New
Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas). His expedition found only Zuñi, Hopi, and
Pueblos, native Americans who repelled Coronado when he demanded that they convert
to Christianity. Coronado killed many native Americans during this expedition. Since he
did not find gold, silver, or other treasures, his expedition was branded a failure by
Spanish leaders.
MAGELLAN, FERDINAND
Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521)
was a Portuguese explorer who led
the first expedition that sailed around
the Earth (1519-1522). Magellan also
named the Pacific Ocean (the name means that it
is a calm, peaceful ocean).
Magellan was born in Northern Portugal (either in
Sabrosa or in Oporto). His parents, Pedro Ruy de Magalhaes and Alda de Mezquita, were
members of the nobility (they were wealthy and powerful).
Early in his career, Magellan sailed to India and to the Far East many times via Africa's
Cape of Good Hope. He sailed for his native Portugal, but a dispute with the Portuguese
King Manoel II turned him against the Portuguese. Thereafter, he sailed for Spain.
Magellan and his friend the astronomer Ruy de Falero proposed to King Charles V (of
Spain) that a westward voyage around the tip of South America would take them to the
Moluccas (spice-rich islands) and avoid the Portuguese (with whom they were competing
fiercely). The voyage began September 8, 1519, and lasted until September 6, 1522
(almost 3 years). Magellan sailed from Seville, Spain, with five ships, the Trinidad, San
Antonio, Concepcion, Victoria, and Santiago. Three years later, only one ship (the
Victoria) made it back to Seville, carrying only 18 of the original 270 crew members.
Magellan was killed towards the end of the voyage, on the Island of Mactan in the
Philippines, during a battle with the natives. The Basque navigator Juan Sebastián de
Elcano (del Cano) completed the trip.
VERRAZZANO, GIOVANNI DA
Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485-1528) was an Italian
navigator who, in 1524, explored the northeast coast of
North America from Cape Fear, North Carolina to
Maine while searching for a Northwest passage to
Asia. Verrazzano sailed for King François-premier
(Francis I) of France. Verrazzano's brother, Girolamo
da Verrazzano, was a mapmaker who accompanyed Giovanni on his voyage, and mapped
the voyage.
Verrazzano left Madeira, Spain, on January 17, 1524, and landed at Cape Fear on March
1. He first sailed south, then returned and sailed north, to New York, anchoring the
narrows that are now name for him. He sailed up to Maine and then on to New
Foundland, Canada, and back to Europe (landing in Dieppe, France on July 8).
Verrazzano thought that North America was a thin isthmus separating the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans. Verrazzano was killed and eaten by Carib Indians in 1528. The
Verrazzano Narrows Bridge, a suspension bridge that spans New York Harbor,
connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island (New York, USA), was named for Verrazzano.
Explorers from 1551-1600: the Late Sixteenth Century
DRAKE, FRANCIS
Sir Francis Drake (1545-1596) was a British
explorer, slave-trader, privateer (a pirate
working for a government) in the service of
England, mayor of Plymouth, England, and naval
officer (he was an Admiral). Drake led the second
expedition to sail around the world in a voyage
lasting from 1577 to 1580 (Magellan led the first
voyage around the world). Queen Elizabeth I comissioned Drake to command the
expedition together with John Winter and Thomas Doughty. They left Plymouth,
England, on December 13, 1577, with six ships (including the Golden Hind). They sailed
to Brazil, and through the perilous Strait of Magellan (between August 20 and September
6, 1578). At Tierra del Fuego (located at the southern tip of South America), natives gave
Drake and his crew food and water. They sailed by Panama (1579), where he pirated
Spanish ships and settlements for food and treasures. He landed on the island of Cano, off
the coast of southern Mexico. In North America, he claimed the land he called "Nova
Albion" for the Queen (his exact location was kept secret, but he may have sailed as far
north as northern California or even Vancouver Island, Canada). They then crossed the
Pacific Ocean and sailed by Indonesia, through the Indian Ocean, past the Cape of Good
Hope, and back to Plymouth, England, in 1580. Upon his return, the Queen rewarded
Drake with a large sum of money (£10,000).
Drake was also involved in the slave trade and was a fierce warrior and privateer. Drake
and John Hawkins were on a slave-trading trip to the West Indies (backed by Queen
Elizabeth) that ended with an attack by the Spanish fleet at San Juan de Ulua, near
Veracruz, Mexico. The six English slave-trading ships were in the harbor for repairs, and
only two ships survived the attack, those commanded by Hawkins and Drake; the Spanish
did not want the English competing in their highly profitable slave-trading business. This
battle led to a series of battles that later resulted in a war between Spain and England. In
this war, England crushed the Spanish Armada in 1588 and became the dominant world
power. Drake helped the British defeat the Spanish Armada; he was second in command.
The Spanish called him El Draque, meaning "The Dragon."
Drake died of fever at sea near Panama; he was on a voyage intending to attack Spanish
colonies in the West Indies.
RALEIGH, WALTER
Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618) was a British explorer, poet, historian,
and soldier. Raleigh led expeditions to both North America and South
America; he was trying to found new settlements, find gold, and increase
trade with the New World. In 1585, Raleigh sent colonists to the east
coast of North America; Raleigh later named that area Virginia, in honor
of Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen. He is often credited with bringing tobacco and potatoes
from the New World to Britain, but they were already known there. Raleigh was later
executed by King James I for treason.
Explorers from the 1600's - the Seventeenth Century
CHAMPLAIN, SAMUEL DE
Samuel de Champlain (1567?-1635) was
a French explorer and navigator who
mapped much of northeastern North
America and started a settlement in
Quebec. Champlain also discovered the
lake later named for him (1609) and was
important in establishing and
administering the French colonies in the
New World.
HUDSON, HENRY
Henry Hudson (1565-1611) was an English explorer and navigator who explored parts of the
Arctic Ocean and northeastern North America. The Hudson River, Hudson Strait, and
Hudson Bay are named for Hudson.
Hudson
was hired
by the
Dutch East
India
Company
in 1609, to
try to find
the
Northwest
Passage
farther
south. On
this trip in
a ship
called the Half Moon, Hudson sailed to Nova Scotia, and then sailed
south. He found what is now called the Hudson River. Hudson is
credited with discovering the location which is now New York City
(although da Verrazzano had previously sailed by the area in 1524).
Hudson sailed into New York's harbor on September 3, 1609 and noted
what an excellent harbor it was. Hudson sailed up the river about 150
miles (240 km) and noted the abundance of rich land, but realized that
this was not a waterway to India. His reports resulted in many Dutch settlements in the area.
A 1610-1611 trip through the Hudson Strait and into Hudson Bay ended in a mutiny.
Hudson died in 1611 after his crew mutinied and left Hudson, his son, and seven crew
members adrift in a small, open boat in Hudson Bay.
MINUIT, PETER
Peter Minuit (1580-1638) was the first director general of New
Amsterdam, a Dutch colony in America. Minuit was sent to the area by
the Dutch West India Company. Minuit is famous for buying the island
of Manhattan (in what is now New York, USA) from Native Americans
in 1626. He bought the island with trinkets valued at about $24. He
founded New Amsterdam on the southern tip of Manhattan. In 1631,
Minuit was dismissed
from the Dutch West
India Company, and in 1638 headed a
Swedish group that founded New Sweden
(the first European settlement on the
Delaware River). Minuit bought land
from the Native Americans and founded
Fort Christina (near what is now
Wilmington, Delaware, USA). Minuit
died in a hurricane in the West Indies
while on a trading mission in 1638.