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In the early 1400s, people Europe began to look to the seas and beyond. Some people wanted to spread Christianity, while others were in search for money.
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Europeans develpoed a taste for spices during The Middle Ages. Most spices came from China and had to be shipped halfway around the world. In Portugal, a prince name Henry the Navigator urged sea captains to explore southward along th coast of Africa. He wanted to find a route around Africa that led to China.
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Between 1497 - 1498, Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama found such a route and sailed to India.
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Johm Cabot was a European an Intalian living in England, was sent by King Henry VII on a voyage to the west
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Other explorers had other ideas. Christopher Colombus thought he could sail west of Europe to get to Asia. Colombus persuaded King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to support an expedition. Columbus eventually found America.
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Juan was a Spanish official in the New World. He explored and settled the island of Puerto Rico.King Ferdinand. He explored the Florida Keys.
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King Francis 1 of France sent the Italian navigator Giovani westward. He reached land at NC's outer banks. He thought he saw the Pacific, but he actually saw 2 sounds. He then explored farther up the islands thern went back to King Francis.
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Ayllon led 500 men, women and children to a river called Jordan. The Rio Jordan colony failed due to disease and starvation. He then tried in South Carolina but the same thing happened.
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Hernando sailed on a military expedition from Havana, Cuba, to the west coast of Florida. From there, de Soto's soldiers marched northward to a site near present day Tallahassee, Florida. There they spent the Winter. In Spring, de Soto crossed Georgia and South Carolina. There he met the Cherokee Indians, who treated them with genorosity.
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Spain took the lands to the south of America, so they sent the Conquistadores. They took firm control of mineral rich lands in present day Mexico and Peru which made Spain rich.
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France sent a colony under the command of Jean Ribault to North America. Ribualts colonist were called Huguenots, they tried to settle near present-day Port Royal, Sooth Carolina, in April 1562.The colonists gave up in 1564 and returned to France. That same year another band of Huguenots led Rene de Laudonniere settle at Fort Caroline.
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To Spanish officials, the French fort seemed a direct threat. In 1565 Spain sent troops under Pedro to Florida. Just south of Fort Caroline, Menendez built a fort at St. Augustine. Meanwhile, jean Ribault prepared to attack. A storm wrecked his fleet however and Menendez lost no time in dealing with the unlucky French. He captured Fort Caroline and killed most of the French defenders. He built forts throughout Florida
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Spaniards decided a mission yo convert people to christianity was a the way to go. Pedro was a leader of the expedition, marked their landing with a wooden cross. He explored the area and returned to their ship. Storms prevented them from sailing to Chesapeake Bay, so they returned to the West Indies
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Juan and Hernando led a small group of men to the South Carolina Coast. From there, they pushed north and west on nearly the same route as de Soto. They entered the Blue Ridge Mountains and built forts. But they later abandoned these forts.
