1. Early European Explorers Mr. H

2. Leif Ericsson  From – Greenland  Sailed and Explored for – Greenland, Vikings  Looking For –  Route Sailed – North American East Coast, near the Artic  Achievements – Discovered Vinland, present day New Found Land, Canada. Was the first European to set foot in North America

3. Christopher Columbus  From – Italy  Sailed and Explored for – Spain, King Ferdinand II.  Looking For – A faster route to Asia across the Atlantic  Route Sailed – Mid Atlantic Ocean. From Spain to the Caribbean Islands. Made multiple voyages  Achievements - Started Colonialization of the New World; brought back cloths and furs, established the route for the Columbian Exchange

4. John Cabot  From – Italy  Sailed and Explored for – England, King Henry VII  Looking For – Northwest passage to Asia, land to claim for England  Route Sailed – North Atlantic Ocean. From England to the northeast coast of North America  Achievements – Claimed land in present day Canada for England (originally mistaken for Asia.

5. Ferdinand Magellan  From – Portugal  Sailed and Explored for – Spain, 1519  Looking For – Spice rich islands, and a way around South America  Route Sailed – From Spain, all around the tip of South America, and to the Philippian islands, where he was killed. His crew sailed back to Spain around Africa  Achievements – First to circumnavigate (sail around) the world, but at great costs.

6. Hernando de Soto  From – Spain  Sailed and Explored for – Spanish governor of Panama  Looking For – Gold  Route Sailed – Landed in Florida, traveled around the southern region of present day United States, and back to the Gulf of Mexico,  Achievements – Discovered the Mississippi River, but never did find gold.

7. Henry Hudson  From – England  Sailed and Explored for – England, Dutch  Looking For – North American water routes; ice free route to Asia; North West Passage  Route Sailed – North Atlantic, near the Artic, and the Artic routes; rivers of North America  Achievements – Discovered the Hudson Bay; Discovered what is now New York City

8. Robert LaSalle  From – France  Sailed and Explored for – France, King Louis XIV  Looking For – To travel from North America, through the Mississippi River; to establish fur trading routes.  Route Sailed – Sailed the Great Lakes and the entire length of the Mississippi River.  Achievements – First person to explore the length of the Mississippi River