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Unlock your guides1.3 European Exploration in the Americas
3 min read•june 18, 2024
Will Pulgarin
Jillian Holbrook
Will Pulgarin
Jillian Holbrook
Columbus Sails Circa 1492
New ships, such as the , allowed for longer exploratory voyages. Caravels were typically about 50-60 feet long and had a narrow hull with a shallow draft, which made them well-suited for sailing in shallow waters and for navigating in close quarters. They were also equipped with triangular lateen sails, which allowed them to sail close to the wind and make sharp turns—greater maneuverability than previous nautical vessels.
In August of 1492, Columbus used three caravels (, , and ), supplied and funded by the , to set sail toward India. After an arduous voyage, Columbus and his men reached land on October 12, 1492. At dawn, Columbus went ashore and encountered a group of people who called themselves the . He renamed their island and claimed it for Spain.
Columbus observed in his journal:
“They…brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells. They willingly traded everything they owned…They were well built, with good bodies and handsome features…They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane…They would make fine servants…With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”
When Columbus returned to Spain, word of his discovery spread through Europe and ignited the .
🎥Watch: AP U.S. History - Columbus & the Legacy of Discovery
The Age of Exploration
Columbus’ voyage pleased the Spanish monarchs, who quickly funded more voyages to the New World. Other European powers quickly set sail across the Atlantic to lay their own claims and explore. Like Columbus, European explorers set sail to the New World in search of gold, to seek glory, or to spread the word of their God to the Native peoples.
(remember: as the influences of exploration) ⛪ 🌟 💸
Notable Explorers
The main explorers during the Age of Exploration were:
| Date | Explorer | Country they sailed for | Major Achievement |
| 1000 CE | Norway | First explorer to come ashore in the | |
| 1487 | Portugal | First to sail around the , setting up the route from Europe to Asia | |
| 1492 | Spain | Landed in the – eventually, this would lead to the discovery of the Americas | |
| 1497 | England | Sailed to ; helped lay the groundwork for the later British claim to Canada | |
| 1499 | Spain | Explored the coast of ; America was named after Amerigo | |
| 1513 | Spain | Discovered ; died looking for the fountain of youth 🤔 | |
| 1519 | Spain | Reached the southern part of South America while attempting to circumnavigate the globe | |
| 1519 | Spain | Conquered the | |
| 1531 | Spain | Conquered the | |
| 1534 | France | Looked for the ; explored parts of Canada | |
| 1540 | Francisco Vasquez Coronado | Spain | Explored and led a large expedition from Mexico to present-day Kansas through parts of the southwestern United States |
| 1603 | Samuel de Champlain | France | Explored and established the city of Quebec in the northern colony of New France |
| 1607 & 1608 | Henry Hudson | England | Discovered the |
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