Explorers

Exploration

1st to ArriveThe first to arrive to Americas cross the Bering Strait land bridge (Beringia)

Leif EricsonLanded in Newfoundland Canada

First European in America 500 years before Columbus

Henry the NavigatorPortuguese prince who established school for navigation

Portugal becomes center of exploration

Turkish/ Ottoman Empire

Controls trade routes to Asia (quickest way is through their territory)

When they rose to power, they cut trade routes to Asia

Portugal Finds a New Route

Bartholomeu Dias

Starts to explore farther from Europe

Sails around Africa to reach Asia

Christopher Columbus

Thought he could find a shorter route to Asia by sailing West

Convinced Spain to support him

Ran into Caribbean Islands, called them the West Indie

Glory

John CabotExploring the New World for Britain

Landed in Newfoundland (near where Leif Ericson landed)

Glory

Amerigo VespucciSailing for Portugal figured out that America was not Asia, but a continent no modern European was aware of

New World is eventually called America in his honor.

Glory

Hernan CortesSpanish Explorer

Explored Spain looking for Gold

Defeated Aztecs by peacefully entering their capital and attacking later

Gold/God

Francisco PizzaroSpanish explorer

Defeats Inca empire in Peru

Gold

Jacques CartierFrench Explorer find St. Lawrence River in Canada

Looking for a passage through New World to Asia

Gives Canada its name

Glory

Hernando de SotoExplores area around Florida and Southern US for Spain

1st European to cross Mississippi river

God, Gold, and Glory

Marquette and JolietExplore length of Mississippi River looking for route from Canada to Pacific Ocean

French Explorers

God/Glory