European Explorers

Prince Henry the Navigator

• “Explored” for Portugal• Brought experts together to study

navigation and paid for explorations. He never actually sailed himself.• Memory Hook: Prince Henry paid for

the Portuguese to explore.

Vasco da Gama

• Explored for Portugal• Sailed around the tip of Africa to

India.• 1st water route to Asia to find spices.• Memory Hook: Da Gama and Da

Portuguese Da Sailed to Da India.

Christopher Columbus• Explored for Spain• Sailed west to Asia but landed in

Bahamas (West Indies).• Is credited with finding the “New

World” not North America.• Memory Hook: Spain wanted to find

India, but Columbus landed in the West Indies.

Ferdinand Magellan• Explored for Spain• Magellan’s crew is 1st circumnavigate the

globe. Magellan was killed in battle after landing in the Philippines.

• Circumnavigate = go around the globe.• Memory Hook: Magellan was “gellin”

around the globe.

Hernando Cortez• Explored for Spain• Conquered the Aztecs and took control

over Mexico.• Cortez wanted to find gold and he does

after conquering the Aztecs.• Memory Hook: In Mexico, the Aztecs

were bold, but Cortez and Spain took their gold.

Francisco Pizarro• Explored for Spain• Conquered Incas and took over Peru and

Chile.• Pizarro and his soldiers hunted for the

Incas in the Andes Mountains. The Spanish used llamas to find the Incas.

• Memory Hook: Do you think the Incas in the Andes like cheese on their Pizarro?

Sir Francis Drake

• Explored for Great Britain(England)• 1st Englishman to circumnavigate the

globe.• Memory Hook: The English and Sir

Drake – circumnavigate!

Jacques Cartier

• Explored for France• Sails and claims the Eastern part of

Canada for France. (Quebec)• Memory Hook: Cartier liked to

dance, so he claimed Canada for France.