THE AGE OF EXPLORATION

THE EARLY VIKINGS Who: Leif Erikson When: 1000 AD Why: Being a Viking Details: Explored and settled the coast of Greenland, so technically he was the first to settle North America.

MARCO POLO Who: Italy When: 1270 Why: Wanted more money by trading with Asia Details: Introduced Europeans to Central Asia. He wrote his memoirs which inspired the Age of Exploration and Christopher Columbus.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS Who: Spain When: 1492 Why: Looking for a faster trade route to India and Asia Details: He set sail on the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. After three months of sailing his crew wanted to kill him when they saw land. He landed on an island in the Caribbean never reaching the mainland. Died never knowing he was in North America.

VASCO DE GAMA Who: Spain When: 1497 Why: Faster route to India and Asia Details: First person to sail around the tip of Africa and the first person to sail directly to India from Europe.

FERDINAND MAGELLEN Who: Spain When: Why: Trying to make it around the world Details: Became the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe. They started with five ships and 237 men. Only 18 survived. Magellen died in the Philippines.

VASCO DE NUNEZ BALBOA Who: Spain When: 1513 Why: Spanish Conqueror Details: He was the first to walk across the New World from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. It was only 44 miles.

HERNAN CORTES Who: Spanish When: 1518 Why: He was looking for the Seven Cities of Gold Details: Single handedly destroyed the entire Aztec civilization. Ruthless and evil as he marched his way to the Aztec capital and killed their king.

JUAN PONCE DE LEON Who: Spain When: 1513 Why: Went looking for the Fountain of Youth Details: Explored most of Florida, named it, claimed it for Spain, but never found the Fountain of Youth as evidenced by his death.

FRANCISCO PIZARRO Who: Spain When: 1532 Why: Went looking for the Incan’s gold Details: He found the Incans, killed them, and took their leader, Atahualpa captive. He made the Incans fill one room with gold and two with silver to get him back. He took the money and killed Atahualpa.

JOHN CABOT Who: England When: 1497 Why: He was England’s version of Columbus Details: First to explore the North American coast where current US is and laid claim to it for the English. Disappeared on one of his voyages.

HENRY HUDSON Who: English and Dutch When: Why: Looking for the Northwest Passage Details: Explored modern day New York City, the Hudson River (named it after himself). He disappeared after his crew threw him overboard.

SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN Who: French When: 1603 Why: Exploration and Settlement Details: Created the first European settlement in Canada/northern US. He made many friendships with the Native tribes and created numerous settlements.

JACQUES CARTIER Who: France When: Why: Looking for the Northwest Passage Details: He explored and named Canada looking in the St. Lawrence gulf and river for a water route through the Americas. Set up many fur trading posts.

AMERIGO VESPUCCI Who: Italy When: Why: Following in Columbus’ footsteps Details: Explored much of the coasts of North and South America. Was in the right place at the right time and got two whole continents named after him.

JOHN SMITH Who: England When: 1608 Why: Settlement of the New World/Gold Details: Was sent to create the first permanent settlement in the New World in Jamestown, Virginia. They came for gold but they ended up just fighting to survive.

THE EMPIRES Spain  Came to conquer with Conquistadors  Looking for gold and riches  Enslaved the Natives  Organized their empire in the New World around slavery, mining, and land acquisition.

THE EMPIRES France  Came to trade and make money  They set up their empire to live with the Natives, using them to trade with for furs  Set up small trading posts with very little if any troops

THE EMPIRES England  Looking for gold and wealth but chose the wrong land for that.  Decided instead for land and spreading their empire.  They tried to live with the Natives, but sometimes killed them.

Daniel Boone  He was a mountain man (Appalachian Mts.)  Cleared the route from East Coast to Ohio  Made the Cumberland Gap  Led settlers to Ohio River Valley

Lewis and Clark  Explored the Louisiana Territory  Traveled 4,200 miles over 2.5 years  Found 176 different plants and over 100 animals  Sacajawea, a Shoshone woman, helped the expedition survive  Created journals and 140 maps, but more importantly showed the nation just how much can be accomplished and opened up the imaginations and western lands of America

Zebulon Pike  He led an expedition while Lewis and Clark were making their way back home  They explored the Continental Divide (Rocky Mountains)  Named Pike’s Peak

Davy Crockett “King of the Wild Frontier”  Had a very full life! The original Chuck Norris  It was said that he killed a bear with his bear hands as a child.  He was a frontiersman  War hero  Congress man  One of the leaders of the Alamo When Chuck Norris is laughing, someone is about to die! Be afraid man in red sweater, be afraid.