Explorer Year Key Motivation Major Sponsor Other important info.
Accomplishments
1492 Find a western route “The Americas” King Ferdinand and Create interest in
Christopher to Asia or Queen Isabella of new World
Columbus The New World Spain
Landed in the Believed he had
Caribbean islands. (Spain) found Asia
1513 Adventure and First European to Himself Established Spanish
Vasco de exploration cross Americas to the Came from a noble colonies
Pacific Ocean family
Balboa Interested in starting (Spain) Hispaniola citizen
a colony
Governor of the area
Nice conquistador
Saw the Pacific
ocean from the
Mountain tops
Find gold First to see the Spanish King He died in 1542 of a
Become wealthy Mississippi River Charles V fever.
Hernando de Soto 1539 Claim Florida for Buried in the
Spain Explored the Gulf of (Spain) Mississippi river.
Mexico area He was a
conquistador
Main road leading to
Incan capitol
1497 Searched for He explored King Henry VII Ship vanished during
John northwest passage to Newfoundland (England) third voyage.
Cabot Asia
Created maps that
helped future
explorers
1610 Searched for First European to Sailed for the English Ship “Discovery”
northwest passage reach the Hudson and Dutch trading stuck in ice near
Henry Bay companies today’s Canada
Hudson
Sailing the river Believed he had
known today as The found Asia
Hudson River.
Men mutinied.
1534 Searched for First to explore the King Francis I Cartier went back to
northwest passage area near the Gulf of France with what he
Jacques the St. Lawrence and France thought
Cartier Looking for gold the St. Lawrence were chests of gold
River. and diamonds.
Cartier’s riches
Prince Edward turned out to be
Islands quartz crystals and
pyrite, or “fool’s
gold.”
