Explorers


 * Today students will learn about early explorers **.

They will ** complete a fact sheet ** about an explorer. Having been assigned an explorer please create a page on the wiki.


 * Here are your Resources ** :
 * [|Early Explorers 1]
 * [|Early Explorers 2]
 * [|Early Explorers 3]
 * [|Early Explorers Map]


 * For the explorers below, click on the link of your explorer to create their page. When you are done, edit your page to contain a link to your explorer.**


 * EXPLORER COUNTRY YEAR GEOGRAPHIC AREA EXPLORED**

Columbus Spain 1492 Sailed westward to find route to China, found the New World John Cabot England 1497 Sailed to the Grand Banks while doing the same thing Amerigo Vespucci Italy 1498 Sailed South America's coast - later maps called it "America" Vasco Da Gama Portugal 1498 Sailed around the tip of Africa and reached the Indies Vasco de Balboa Spain 1513 Crossed Panama southward, finding the "South Sea," the Pacific Ponce de Leon Spain 1513 Landed in what is now Florida, claimed North America for Spain Ferdinand Magellan Spain 1519 First to sail around the world - around South America Hernando Cortez Spain 1519 Conquered the Aztec Empire of Mexico City Verrazano France 1524 Explored North America from North Carolina to Newfoundland Cabeza de Vaca Spain 1527 Explored Gulf Coast America by land for seven years, record it Francisco Pizarro Spain 1531 Conquered the Inca Empire of Peru, claimed it for Spain Jacques Cartier France 1534 Sailed the St. Lawrence River, claimed it for France Hernando De Soto Spain 1539 Explored deep into North America, claimed it for Spain Coronado Spain 1540 Explored North America's West to Kansas, claimed it for Spain Tristan De Luna Spain 1559 Short settlement in Mobile where his people explored Alabama Pedro Menendez Spain 1565 Founded St. Augustine, oldest lasting city in North America Sir Francis Drake England 1577 Treasure ship pirate, chased Spanish ships all over the world Sir Walter Raleigh England 1585 Founded and lost the first English colony in North America The Pilgrims England 1620 Sailed the Mayflower to Plymouth to attain religious freedom


 * Date Explorer Nationality Achievement**

Around 1000 Leif Ericson Norse First European to reach North American Mainland 1271-1295 Marco Polo Italian Traveled to the Far East, to what was known then as Cathay or China-Made men want to travel there through his book 1394-1460 Prince Henry Portuguese Created navigation school in Sagres, Portugal Explored the western African coastline 1487-1488 Bartolomeu Dias Portuguese First European to round the Cape of Good Hope 1492-1504 Christopher Columbus Italian Made 4 voyages to West Indies and Caribbean Islands 1497-1503 Amerigo Vespucci Italian Sailed to West Indies and South America 1497-1498 John Cabot Italian Explored the shores of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Labrador 1498 Vasco Da Gama Portuguese First to travel to West Indies around Africa 1513 Vasco de Balboa Spanish Led expedition across Panama and found the Pacific Ocean 1513 Juan Ponce de Leon Spanish Explored Florida looking for the Fountain of Youth 1520-1521 Ferdinand Magellan Portuguese Commanded first globe circling voyage 1519-1521 Hernando Cortez Spanish Conquered Aztecs in Mexico 1523 Giovanni da Verranzano Italian Searched for a Northwest Passage 1523-1535 Francisco Pizarro Spanish Conquered Peru 1534-1542 Jacques Cartier French Traveled St. Lawrence River 1539-1541 Hernando De Soto Spanish Explored American Southeast-Discovered the Mississippi River 1540-1542 Francisco Vazquez de Coronado Spanish Explored American Southwest 1577-1580 Sir Frances Drake English First English to sail around the world-Defeated the Spanish Armada- Claimed California for England 1603-1616 Samuel de Champlain French Explored eastern coast of North America and the coast of the St. Lawrence River to Lake Huron-Reached Lake Champlain 1609-1611 Henry Hudson English Explored Hudson Bay, Hudson River, and Hudson Strait 1672 Father Marquette and Louis Joliet French Explored Northern Mississippi River 1682 Robert LaSalle French Traveled to the mouth of the Mississippi River and claimed it for France