Early explorers 1000--1700

Leif Ericsson sailed for Norway (Scandinavia) in 1001. The Vikings are thought to be the first Europeans to visit North America.

Marco Polo sailed for Italy in 1271. He inspired other explorers, including Christopher Columbus, with his descriptions of the wonders of Asia.

Prince Henry the Navigator Even though he never sailed on a voyage himself, he started a school for navigators in the early 1400s in Portugal.

Bartholomeu Dais sailed for Portugal in 1488. He sailed down the west coast of Africa to the Cape of Good Hope.

Vasco da Gama sailed for Portugal in 1497. He sailed around the tip of Africa and reached India.

John Cabot sailed for England in 1497. He found present day Newfoundland.

Amerigo Vespucci He sailed for Spain in 1501. He was the first to realize Columbus had not reached Asia. The Americas are named for him.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa He sailed for Spain in 1513. He was the first to see the Pacific Ocean and claimed it for Spain.

Juan Ponce de Leon sailed for Spain in 1513. He explored Florida and searched for a fountain of youth without success.

Ferdinand Magellan sailed for Spain in 1519. He proved it was possible to reach Asia by sailing west and was the first to circumnavigate, or sail completely around, the world.

Hernando Cortez He sailed for Spain in 1519. He defeated the Aztecs in Mexico.

Francisco Pizarro He sailed for Spain in 1532. He defeated the Incas in Peru.

Cabeza de Vaca He sailed for Spain from 1533-1536. He traveled across Texas to Mexico.

Jacques Cartier sailed for France in 1534. He traveled halfway up the St. Lawrence River.

Hernando De Soto sailed for Spain in 1539. He explored Florida to the Mississippi River.

Francisco Coronado He sailed for Spain in 1540. He explored the southwestern United States. He never found the seven cities of gold he was looking for.

He sailed for England in 1576. Sir Martin Frobisher He sailed for England in 1576. He reached Labrador and Baffin Island in eastern Canada while looking for a northwest passage to Asia. Frobisher Bay is named after him.

Sir Walter Raleigh He sailed for England in 1585. He established the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke off the coast of present day North Carolina.

Samuel de Champlain He sailed for France in 1605. He established Port Royal and Quebec. Lake Champlain is named after him.

Henry Hudson He sailed for the Dutch in 1609 and for England in 1610. Hudson Bay in eastern Canada is named for him as is the Hudson Strait and the Hudson River.

Peter Minuit He came from the Netherlands in 1626. He purchased land from Native Americans called Manhattan; and established a colony called New Netherland that later became New York.

Father Jacques Marquette He sailed for France in 1673. He explored 700 miles of the Mississippi River.

Robert de La Salle He sailed for France in 1678 and explored the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. He called the land he claimed for France Louisiana.