Download Exploring the Explorers!

Exploring the Explorers!
THE FIRST EXPLORERS/DISCOVERERS OF
NEW WATER ROUTES AND NEW LAND.
Prince Henry the Navigator (13941460)
• Born in Portugal
• Set out with ships and
mapped the western
coast of Africa.
• Created a type of school
that gathered crucial
knowledge about maps
and sailing.
• This sets off the Age of
Exploration!
Bartolomeu Dias (1451-1500)
• Born a nobleman in
Portugal.
• 1st to figure out how far
south Africa extended.
• Sailed from Portugal, went
along the West coast of
Africa, sailed to the tip of S.
Africa, and then went back
to Portugal.
• Showed people it might be
possible to reach Asia by
sailing south and around
Africa.
Vasco de Gama (1460-1524)
• Born in Portugal.
• In 1497-99 he followed
Dias’ route down the
coast of Africa but kept
going.
• He sailed all the way to
West India and was the
1st to reach India by an
all water route.
Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)
• Born in Italy (we think)
but sailed for Spain.
• 1st of the Europeans to
“discover” new land to
the west that previously
was unknown.
• Sailed West, looking for a
new water route to India.
• Went on 4 total voyages
and always thought he
had found India not a
new continent!
Pedro Alvarez Cabral
• Sailed from Spain.
• Trying to go around the
tip of Africa, but went
WAAAAYY too far to the
West.
• Actually landed in
present day Brazil.
• 1st to explore South
America.
Amerigo Vespucci
• Followed Cabral’s route
to Brazil.
• Then followed the coast
to the Southern tip of
South America and took
excellent notes.
• He made detailed maps
of the American
continent and America
is named after him!
First Map with landform called “America”
Ponce de Leon (1460-1521)
• Born in Spain, sailed with
Columbus on his 2nd
voyage.
• Best known for his
exploration of what is
now Florida.
• But he also discovered
the strong ocean current
we call the Gulf Stream
that speeds ships across
the Atlantic to Cuba and
Florida.
Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521)
• Born in Portugal but sailed for
Spain.
• Wanted to sail around the world
and get to Asia by sailing West
from Europe.
• Sailed down the tip of S. America,
crossed to the Pacific Ocean, and
landed in the Philippines off the
coast of Asia.
• Magellan is killed by some natives
but his crew kept sailing, made it
to India, around the tip of Africa,
and then back to Europe.
• Yay! They made it around the
world!
John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto 14511498)
• Born in Italy but
convinced Henry VIII of
England to sponsor his
search for a way across
the Atlantic to Asia.
• 1st set sail in 1497,
reached N. America,
returned to Europe.
• The next year he sailed
again and disappeared
somewhere in Canada
never heard from again…
Vasco Nunez de Balboa (1475-1519)
• Born in Spain.
• 1501, sailed across the
Atlantic.
• 12 years later, led an
expedition across
Panama, where he was
the 1st European to the
Pacific Ocean.
Conquistadors and Land
Explorers
Hernan Cortes (1485-1547)
• Born in Spain.
• Wanted in on all the
action going on in the
New World.
• Left Spain in 1504 (not
even 20 years old yet),
helped in the conquest of
Cuba, and later defeated
the mighty Aztec Empire.
• Became captain-general
of New Spain and later
returned to Spain where
he died.
Francisco Pizarro (1475-1541)
• Born in Spain and went to
the New World in 1502.
• 20 years later he heard
stories of a wealthy
kingdom and in 1530, set
out to conquer it.
• Lucky for him, the Inca
Empire were in the
middle of a Civil War, and
Pizarro was able to
conquer them with only
180 men.
Hernando de Soto (1500-1542)
• Born in Spain.
• Went with Pizarro and
helped conquer the
Incan Empire.
• In 1539, marched with
600 men from Florida
across the southeast,
leaving a legacy of
destruction and cruelty
wherever he went.
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado (15101554)
• Born to a noble family
in Spain.
• Went to Mexico is 1535,
heard stories of the 7
cities of gold (Cibola) in
North America, led
1,400 men to the
interior of the
continent.
• Most of the men died
and they found no gold!