Exploring the Explorers!

The first explorers/discoverers of new water routes and new land.

Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) Born in Portugal Set out with ships and mapped the western coast of Africa. Created a type of school that gathered crucial knowledge about maps and sailing. This sets off the Age of Exploration!

Bartolomeu Dias (1451-1500) Born a nobleman in Portugal. 1st to figure out how far south Africa extended. Sailed from Portugal, went along the West coast of Africa, sailed to the tip of S. Africa, and then went back to Portugal. Showed people it might be possible to reach Asia by sailing south and around Africa.

Vasco de Gama (1460-1524) Born in Portugal. In 1497-99 he followed Dias’ route down the coast of Africa but kept going. He sailed all the way to West India and was the 1st to reach India by an all water route.

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) Born in Italy (we think) but sailed for Spain. 1st of the Europeans to “discover” new land to the west that previously was unknown. Sailed West, looking for a new water route to India. Went on 4 total voyages and always thought he had found India not a new continent!

Pedro Alvarez Cabral Sailed from Spain. Trying to go around the tip of Africa, but went WAAAAYY too far to the West. Actually landed in present day Brazil. 1st to explore South America.

Amerigo Vespucci Followed Cabral’s route to Brazil. Then followed the coast to the Southern tip of South America and took excellent notes. He made detailed maps of the American continent and America is named after him!

First Map with landform called “America”

Ponce de Leon (1460-1521) Born in Spain, sailed with Columbus on his 2nd voyage. Best known for his exploration of what is now Florida. But he also discovered the strong ocean current we call the Gulf Stream that speeds ships across the Atlantic to Cuba and Florida.

Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) Born in Portugal but sailed for Spain. Wanted to sail around the world and get to Asia by sailing West from Europe. Sailed down the tip of S. America, crossed to the Pacific Ocean, and landed in the Philippines off the coast of Asia. Magellan is killed by some natives but his crew kept sailing, made it to India, around the tip of Africa, and then back to Europe. Yay! They made it around the world!

John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto 1451-1498) Born in Italy but convinced Henry VIII of England to sponsor his search for a way across the Atlantic to Asia. 1st set sail in 1497, reached N. America, returned to Europe. The next year he sailed again and disappeared somewhere in Canada never heard from again…

Vasco Nunez de Balboa (1475-1519) Born in Spain. 1501, sailed across the Atlantic. 12 years later, led an expedition across Panama, where he was the 1st European to the Pacific Ocean.

Conquistadors and Land Explorers

Hernan Cortes (1485-1547) Born in Spain. Wanted in on all the action going on in the New World. Left Spain in 1504 (not even 20 years old yet), helped in the conquest of Cuba, and later defeated the mighty Aztec Empire. Became captain-general of New Spain and later returned to Spain where he died.

Francisco Pizarro (1475-1541) Born in Spain and went to the New World in 1502. 20 years later he heard stories of a wealthy kingdom and in 1530, set out to conquer it. Lucky for him, the Inca Empire were in the middle of a Civil War, and Pizarro was able to conquer them with only 180 men.

Hernando de Soto (1500-1542) Born in Spain. Went with Pizarro and helped conquer the Incan Empire. In 1539, marched with 600 men from Florida across the southeast, leaving a legacy of destruction and cruelty wherever he went.

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado (1510-1554) Born to a noble family in Spain. Went to Mexico is 1535, heard stories of the 7 cities of gold (Cibola) in North America, led 1,400 men to the interior of the continent. Most of the men died and they found no gold!