Unit 6- Chloe MacDonald

  • Period: 1400 to

    The Age of Discovery

    This was a time period where many people were exploring the sea to find fast trade routes.This time period was also known as the Age of Exploration where many different explorers would search for "The New World". There were many discoveries of new lands and new goods.
  • Zheng He
    1431

    Zheng He

    Chinese explorer who traveled to Asia and Africa. He made many eastern and western trade routes for China. This helped increase the popularity of China in the economic world.
  • Bartolomeu Dias
    1488

    Bartolomeu Dias

    He was a Portuguese navigator and explorer. He is known for being the first European to round the southern end of Africa.
  • Christopher Columbus
    1492

    Christopher Columbus

    He is credited for re-discovering America. He did not discover America, there were people there long before him. He opened up a whole new world of possibilities and trade.
  • John Cabot
    1497

    John Cabot

    He was an Italian explorer. His trip to North America, under Henry VII, is the first European explorer in North coastal America.
  • Vasco de Gama
    1497

    Vasco de Gama

    He was the first person to find a route from Europe to Asia. He was also the first European to sail around Africa and reach India.
  • Pedro Alvares Cabral
    1500

    Pedro Alvares Cabral

    He was one of the first Europeans to find Brazil. He also made a very successful sea travel route to India and he was a trader there.
  • Amerigo Vespucci
    1501

    Amerigo Vespucci

    He was exploring land that he believed to be Asia, but he discovered that it was not. He was instead exploring North and South America, that are now named after him.
  • Juan Ponce de Leon
    1513

    Juan Ponce de Leon

    He was a Spanish explorer that was known for leading the first expedition to Puerto Rico and Florida.
  • Vasco Nunez de Balboa
    1513

    Vasco Nunez de Balboa

    He was an European explorer and Conquistador. He was the head of the first settlement in South America. He was also the first European to find and discover the Pacific Ocean.
  • Ferdinand Magellan
    1519

    Ferdinand Magellan

    He was the first European to sail successfully across the Pacific Ocean. The straight of Magellan was named after him and is know to be a very popular trade route.
  • Hernan Cortes
    1519

    Hernan Cortes

    He built Mexico City after defeating the Aztec Empire. The creation of Mexico City also helped Spains presence in South America.
  • Giovanni da Verrazzano
    1524

    Giovanni da Verrazzano

    He was a European explorer who explored most of the North American east coast. He is known to be the first European to go to New York.
  • Francisco Pizarro
    1526

    Francisco Pizarro

    He helped Spain take over South America to gain control. He also helped conquer the Inca Empire. The city of Lima which is the capital of Peru was named by him.
  • Hernando de Soto
    1535

    Hernando de Soto

    He was a Spanish conquistador and explorer. He helped conquer a part of South America. He explored around the southeastern part of the USA and he is known to be the first European to cross the Mississippi River.
  • Jacques Cartier
    1542

    Jacques Cartier

    He was a French explorer. He was the first European to map and describe the shores and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. He also laid the basis for Frances claims over North America.
  • Francis Drake
    1580

    Francis Drake

    He was an English explorer who was the first to circumnavigate the Earth in a single trip. He also ended Spanish control overseas and in America which allowed England to become a global empire.
  • Walter Raleigh

    Walter Raleigh

    He was a British explorer who helped create the first English settlement called Roanoke Island. He was one of Queen Elizabeths I favorite and he helped England against the Spanish.
  • Henry Hudson

    Henry Hudson

    The Hudson River was named after him. He was an English captain and navigator who discovered the Hudson River. He also sailed through parts of the Arctic in search for a North path to China
  • Samuel de Champlain

    Samuel de Champlain

    He was a French cartographer and explorer for helping create early settlements in Canada. He also mapped St. Lawrence River, founding Quebec, and discovering the Great Lakes.
  • James Cook

    James Cook

    He was a British explorer who explored the Pacific Ocean and most of its islands. He was given credit for being the first European to discover the Hawaiian Islands.