1. Early World Maps

2. It’s all about where you’re at!
Every country wanted a piece of the pie!
Western Europe
Spain and Portugal explored, conquered, and settled the Americas first.
But countries that bordered the Atlantic Ocean saw the riches coming from the New World and wanted to get in on the action!
What countries might have explored the New World?

3. Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage: A legendary shortcut to Asia that explorers hoped to find through the New World
Explorers didn’t care about settling the land. They wanted to trade! The New World was IN THE WAY!

4. Early European Explorers
Country
Area Explored & When
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
Spain
1513 – Land route across the Americas; First European to see the Pacific Ocean
Ferdinand Magellan
Portugal
1519-Sailed around the southern tip of America; Name Pacific
John Cabot
England
1497-Newfoundland
Giovanni da Verrazano
France
1524- Eastern Coast of North America
Jacques Cartier
1534, 1535—Canada St. Lawrence Seaway

5. Balboa

6. Magellan