The European Explorers Christopher Columbus, Henry Hudson John Cabot, Juan Ponce de Leon Vasco Nunez Balboa, Jacques Cartier

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus was born in 1451. He was Italian but sailed for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. On his first trip, he sailed on 3 boats..The Nina, The Pinta, and The Santa Maria with about 90 crew members.

Christopher Columbus What was Columbus looking for? Columbus thought the world was round when most others thought it was flat. A sea route to Asia to bring back spices GOLD, GOLD, GOLD More land!!! Columbus sailed from Palos, Spain on August 3, 1492 and hit land in the Caribbean Islands on October 11, 1492.

Columbus captained The Santa Maria, which was larger than the other two ships. Christopher Columbus Columbus didn’t find a sea route to Asia or a lot of gold. What he did find was a whole new continent: North America. He proved to people in Europe that the earth was round and not flat.

John Cabot John Cabot was born in 1450. He was Italian but sailed for King Henry VII of England. Cabot left England in early 1497 and landed in Newfoundland, Canada on June 24, 1497. His boat was called Matthew and he sailed with his 3 sons.

John Cabot So, what was Johnny looking for? Cabot was looking for the Northwest Passage- a short cut between Europe and Asia through North America Wanted to claim land and wealth for England His journey was very slow and very long. Cabot explored and claimed land along the eastern Canadian coast.

What is the Northwest Passage? The Northwest Passage was suppose to be a short cut to get from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Explorers believed that the Northwest Passage would lead them to a faster way to Asia.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa Balboa was born in 1475. He was a Spanish conquistador who sailed for Spain. A conquistador was an explorer that wanted to conquer new lands and the people who lived there.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa What was Balboa looking for? He was mainly looking to prove that North America was a new continent. He also wanted to find gold…remember, they were GREEDY!! Balboa was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean in 1513.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa Balboa wasn’t a very honest or successful man. He first came to the New World searching for precious stones. He tried farming but wasn’t very good at it. He and his dog, Leoncico, stowed away on a boat and sailed south. Balboa, his dog, and his men crossed the Isthmus of Panama to see the Pacific Ocean. He claimed this land for Spain. Balboa then went up the coast stealing gold from the Native Americans. He made a lot of people angry, he was charged with treason, and beheaded.

Juan Ponce de Leon Juan Ponce de Leon was born around 1460. He was from Spain and was a soldier. Early in his career, he sailed with Columbus. Ponce de Leon was the first European to set foot in Florida.

Juan Ponce de Leon What was Juan searching for? Conquered Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic before coming to Florida. What was Juan searching for? He was searching for the fountain of youth, which was a legendary fountain that gave eternal life and health. He was also searching for gold…what many of the explorers were looking for.

Fort in St. Augustine…you can still visit it today Fort in St. Augustine…you can still visit it today!!! Castillo de San Marcos Juan Ponce de Leon So…what ended up happening? Ponce de Leon established the first settlement in North America- St. Augustine, Florida. He never found the Fountain of Youth. He really made the Calusa tribe mad and they killed him.

Henry Hudson Henry Hudson was born in 1565. He was from England and sailed for England. He sailed several times to North America looking for a water route to Asia

Henry Hudson What was Henry looking for? Hudson was looking for the Northwest Passage. The Hudson Bay, Hudson River, and Hudson Strait are all named after Henry. Hudson sailed into present day New York, reporting how awesome the land was there.

Henry Hudson So what happened to good ole’ Henry…. In 1611, his trip ended in mutiny when his crew kicked him, his son, and 7 crew members off the boat. They were never heard from again!

Jacques Cartier Cartier was born in 1491. Cartier was from France and explored for the French. He made 3 trips to North America, exploring mainly Canada, claiming it for the French.

Jacques Cartier Cartier was looking for the Northwest Passage but never found it. Cartier sailed down the St. Lawrence River but had to turn back due to large rapids. His boats couldn’t navigate the rapids. Cartier named Canada after an Iroquois-Huron word “Kanada”, meaning village or settlement.