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Major
European Explorers, 1487-1682
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| Explorer |
Dates of Voyage
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Accomplishments |
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For
Portugal
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| Bartholomew Diaz |
1487-1488
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Discovered the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa |
| Vasco da Gama |
1497-1499
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made the first all-water voyage from Europe to India |
| Pedro Cabral |
1500
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discovered, explored, and claimed Brazil for Portugal |
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For
Spain
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| Christopher Columbus |
1492-1504
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explored the islands of the Caribbean |
| Ponce de Leon |
1513
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explored what is now Florida |
| Ferdinand Magellan |
1519-1522
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commanded the first voyage to circumnavigage (sail around) the world |
| Hernando Cortez |
1519
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conquered the Aztecs of Mexico |
| Francisco Pizarro |
1530
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conquered the Inca of Peru |
| Francisco Coronado |
1540-1542
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explored the southwestern part of what is now the United States |
| Hernando de Soto |
1539-1543
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explored the southeastern part of what is now the United States |
| Juan Cabrillo |
1542-1543
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explored the west coast of North America |
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For
England
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| John Cabot |
1497-1501
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explored and claimed the eastern coast of North America |
| Henry Hudson |
1610-1611
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discovered and explored Hudson Bay in northern Canada |
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For
the Netherlands (Holland)
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| Henry Hudson |
1609
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discovered and explored the Hudson River |
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For
France
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| Jacques Cartier |
1534-1542
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discovered and explored the St. Lawrence River |
| Samuel de Champlain |
1603-1615
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explored the St. Lawrence River; discovered and explored the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain |
| Father Jacques Marquette & Louis Joliet |
1673
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began exploration of the Mississippi River |
| Robert de La Salle |
1682
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completed exploration of the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico |
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