Explorers of North and Central America

AMUNDSEN, ROALD
Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) was a Norwegian polar explorer who was the first person
to fly over the North Pole in a dirigible (May 11-13, 1926) and was the first
person to reach the South Pole. Amundsen and his small expedition reached the
South Pole on December 14, 1911, traveling by dog sled. Amundsen was also the
first person to sail around the world through the Northeast and Northwest
passages, from the Atlantic to the Pacific (in 1905). He was the first person to
reach both the North and South Poles. Amundsen died in a plane crash attempting to
rescue his friend, the Italian explorer Umberto Nobile who was lost in an airship.

For more information on Amundsen, click here.

ANZA, JUAN BAUTISTA DE

Captain Juan Bautista de Anza (1736-1788) was a Mexican-born trailblazer and
explorer. He was the first person of European descent to establish an overland
trail from Mexico to the northern Pacific coast of California (then called New
Albion). He found a corridor through the desolate Sonoran Desert. His expeditions
brought hundreds of settlers to California. He founded the cities of Los Angeles,
San Francisco, and San Jose. De Anza was the commander of the presidio at Tubac.
AVILES, PEDRO MENENDEZ DE
Captain Pedro Menendez de Aviles (Feb. 15, 1519-Sept. 17, 1574) was a brutal
Spanish sailor, soldier, explorer, and conquistador. The King of Spain sent Aviles
to Florida in the New World, to start a Spanish settlement (St. Augustine, in
northeastern Florida), and to decimate a nearby French settlement (Fort Caroline).

For more information on De Aviles, click here.

AYLLON, LUCAS VAZQUEZ DE

Lucas V��zquez de Ayll��n (1475-1526) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who
tried to start a colony in North America in 1526. He was the first European
colonizer of what is now South Carolina. His attempt to settle the coast of the
Carolinas (near the mouth of the Peedee River at Winyah Bay) was unsuccessful.
For more information on De Ayllon, click here.

BERING, VITUS J.
Vitus Jonassen Bering (1681-1741) was a Danish explorer and navigator who explored
the seas off Alaska and northeastern Siberia. Bering was a sublieutenant in the
fleet of Tsar Peter I the Great of Russia.
From 1725-1730, Bering led an expedition to determine whether or not Asia and
North America were connected by a land bridge. Bering sailed through what is now
known as the Bering Strait, finding a sea route around Siberia to China. He
concluded that Asia and North America were not connected (although he did not
actually see North America due to fog).

On a second expedition (the Great Nordic Expedition) in 1741, Bering mapped much
of the Arctic coast of Siberia for the Russian Empress Anna. Bering reached North
America in July 1741. After being blown off course and having both a crew and
captain affected by scurvy (a lack of vitamin C), Bering's ship was wrecked on a
small island near Kamchatka, Russia. Bering and his crew spent winter of 1741 on
this bare bit of land, where Bering and half his crew died. This island is now
called Bering Island. The remaining crew (which included the German naturalist
Georg Wilhelm Steller) survived by eating Steller's seacows (which were given
their name because they tasted like beef) and by building a boat from the wrecked
ship. Only 27 years after being discovered, Steller's sea cows were hunted to
extinction.
BOONE, DANIEL
Colonel Daniel Boone (1734-1820) was an American pioneer, soldier, and explorer;
he was born near Reading, Pennsylvania. Boone founded the first US settlement west
of the Appalachian mountains.
A frontiersman and folk hero, Boone explored the Kentucky wilderness from 1769 to
1782. He traveled down the Ohio River, and trapped furs in the Green and
Cumberland Valleys.

For more information on Boone, click here.

CABEZA DE VACA, ALVAR NUNEZ

Alvar Nu?ez Cabeza de Vaca [Cabeza de Vaca means "head of a cow"] (1490?-1557?)
was a Spanish explorer who sailed to North America from Spain, leaving in 1527. He
traveled from Florida to Texas on a raft, then walked from Texas to Mexico City.
He also explored the Paraguay River in South America. De Vaca and his fellow
travelers were the first Europeans to see the bison, or American buffalo.
For more information on Cabeza de Vaca, click here.

CABOT, JOHN
John Cabot (1450-1499) was an Italian-born English explorer and navigator. In
Italy, he is known as Giovanni Caboto (which is his original name).
For more information on Cabot, click here.

CABOTO, GIOVANNI
See John Cabot (above).
CABRILLO, JUAN RODRIGUEZ
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (? -1543) was a Spanish or Portuguese explorer (his
nationality is uncertain). Cabrillo was the first European explorer of the
Californian coast. In 1542, he sailed from Acapulco to southern California,
claiming California for King Charles I of Spain. Cabrillo named San Diego Bay and
Santa Barbara. He died on San Miguel Island (in the Santa Barbara Channel) after a
fight with Indians, from complications resulting from a broken leg.
CADILLAC, ANTOINE DE
Antonie Laumet de La Mothe de Cadillac ( March 5, 1658 - Oct. 15, 1730) was a
French explorer, soldier, and leader. Cadillac founded the city of Detroit in 1701
and was the governor of the Louisiana Territory from 1710 to 1716 or 1717.
For more information on Cadillac, click here

CARSON, KIT
Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson (Dec. 24, 1809 - May 23, 1868) was an American
explorer, guide, fur trapper, Indian agent, rancher, and soldier, who traveled
through the southwestern and western USA.
For more information on Kit Carson, click here.

CARTIER, JACQUES
Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) was a French explorer who led three expeditions to
Canada, in 1534, 1535, and 1541. He was looking for a route to the Pacific through
North America (a Northwest Passage) but did not find one. Cartier paved the way
for French exploration of North America.
Cartier sailed inland, going 1,000 miles up the St. Lawrence River. He also tried
to start a settlement in Quebec (in 1541), but it was abandoned after a terribly
cold winter. Cartier named Canada; "Kanata" means village or settlement in the
Huron-Iroquois language. Cartier was given directions by Huron-Iroquois Indians
for the route to "kanata," a village near what is now Quebec, but Cartier later
named the entire region Canada.

CASTILLO, BERNAL DIAZ DEL

Bernal Diaz del Castillo, also known as Bernal Diaz, (1492-1584) was a Spanish
historian and soldier who chronicled the Spanish conquest of Mexico. In 1514, he
went to America as a soldier, with Pedrarias D��vila, the new governor of Darien.
In 1517, he sailed to the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, with Francisco de
C��rdoba's expedition. He returned to Mexico in 1518 with Grijalva, and in 1519,
with Hernando Cort��s. This last expedition entailed over 100 battles, including
the surrender of Mexico City (in 1521). As a reward for his service, he was
appointed governor of Santiago de los Caballeros in Guatemala. Bernal Diaz del
Castillo published "Verdadera Historia de la Conquista de Nueva Espa?a", (True
History of the Conquest of New Spain) in 1568.
CERMENHO, SEBASTIAN
Sebastian Mel��ndez Rodr��guez Cermenho (also written Cermenon) was a Spanish
navigator and explorer (Cermenho was Portuguese by birth). Cermenho was directed
by Cort��s to explore the California coastline in 1595. With a crew of 70 men on
the Manila (Philippines) Galleon San Agustin in the service of Spain, Cermenho
sailed from the Philippines to California. After running aground near Point Reyes
(north of San Francisco), Cermenon named the nearby bay San Francisco (it is now
called Drakes Bay). They built a smaller boat from the wreckage and sailed to
Acapulco, Mexico, charting the coastline all the while.
CHAMPLAIN, SAMUEL DE
Samuel de Champlain (1567?-1635) was a French explorer and navigator who mapped
much of northeastern North America and started a settlement in Quebec. Champlain
also discovered the lake later named for him (1609) and was important in
establishing and administering the French colonies in the New World.
For more information on Champlain, click here.

CHARLEVOIX, PIERRE FRAN?OIS-XAVIER DE

Pierre Fran?ois-Xavier de Charlevoix (Oct. 29, 1682 - Feb. 1, 1761) was a French
Jesuit priest, explorer, and writer. His writings are some of the earliest written
accounts of North America.
For more information on Charlevoix, click here.

CLARK, WILLIAM
William Clark (1770-1838) and Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) set out in May 1804 to
explore and map the American West. They were accompanied by a crew of men, and
later, the Shoshone Indian guide and interpreter Sacagawea and her infant son.
They travelled by river and by land from Missouri to the Oregon coast (Fort
Clatsop), and back again. Their journey took 2 years, 4 months, and 10 days, and
they travelled over 8,000 miles. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the
expedition to explore the newly-bought Louisiana Territory.
COLUMBUS, CHRISTOPHER
Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was an Italian explorer who sailed across the
Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a route to India (in order to trade for
spices). He made a total of four trips to the Caribbean and South America during
the years 1492-1504, sailing for King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain. On
his first trip, Columbus led an expedition with three ships, the Ni?a, the Pinta,
and the Santa Maria.
For more information on Columbus, click here.

COOK, JAMES
James Cook (October 27, 1728- February 14, 1779) was a British explorer and
astronomer who went on many expeditions to the Pacific Ocean, Antarctic, Arctic,
and around the world.
Cook's first journey was from 1768 to 1771, when he sailed to Tahiti in order to
observe Venus as it passed between the Earth and the Sun (in order to try to
determine the distance between the Earth and the Sun). During this expedition, he
also mapped New Zealand and eastern Australia.

Cook's second expedition (1772-1775) took him to Antarctica and to Easter Island.
Cook's last expedition (1776-1779) was a search for a Northwest Passage across
North America to Asia. Cook was killed by a mob on Feb. 14, 1779, on the Sandwich
Islands (Hawaii). At the time, he was trying to take the local chief hostage to
get the natives to return a sailboat they had stolen.

Cook was the first ship's captain to stop the disease scurvy (now known to be
caused by a lack of vitamin C) among sailors by providing them with fresh fruits.
Before this, scurvy had killed or incapacitated many sailors on long trips.

For more information on James Cook, click here.

CORDOBA, FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ DE

Francisco Fern��ndez de C��rdoba (? - 1524) was a Spanish explorer and slave
trader who explored Mexico (1517) and Nicaragua (1524).
For more information on, Cordoba, click here.

CORONADO, FRANCISCO VASQUEZ DE

Francisco V��squez de Coronado (1510-1554) was a Spanish ruler, explorer and
conquistador. He was the first European to explore North America's Southwest.
For more information on Coronado, click here.

CORTE REAL, GASPAR

Gaspar Corte Real (1450?-1501?) was a Portuguese explorer who sailed to Greenland
in 1500, and perhaps also reached the coast of North America (Newfoundland).
Gaspar was lost at sea about 1501, and his brother Manuel died trying to find him.

For more information on Corte Real, click here.

CORTES, HERNAN
Hern��n Cort��s (also spelled Cortez), Marqu��s Del Valle De Oaxaca (1485-1547)
was a Spanish adventurer and conquistador (he was also a failed law student) who
overthrew the Aztec empire and claimed Mexico for Spain (1519-21).
Cortes sailed with 11 ships from Cuba to the Yucatan Peninsula to look for gold,
silver, and other treasures. Hearing rumors of great riches, Cort��s traveled
inland and "discovered" Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire. He then
brutally killed the Aztec emperor Montezuma and conquered his Aztec Empire of
Mexico, claiming all of Mexico for Spain in 1521. Treasures from the Aztecs were
brought to Spain, and Cort��s was a hero in his homeland. Cort��s was appointed
governor of the colony of New Spain, but eventually fell out of favor with the
royals. He then returned to Spain where he died a few years later.

DAMPIER, WILLIAM
William Dampier (1651-1715) was a British buccaneer (pirate), explorer and map-
maker. As a teenager, he sailed to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Dampier
sailed to Australia, New Guinea, southeast Asia, and the South Seas, charting the
coastlines, rivers, and currents for the British Admiralty (1699-1700). He also
kept a detailed journal, noting native cultures, the first noted typhoon, and
other discoveries made during his voyages. He discovered and named New Britain.
His book, A New Voyage Round the World, was published in 1697, and became very
popular.
DE ANZA, JUAN BAUTISTA
Captain Juan Bautista de Anza (1736-1788) was a Mexican-born trailblazer and
explorer. He was the first person of European descent to establish an overland
trail from Mexico to the northern Pacific coast of California (then called New
Albion). He found a corridor through the desolate Sonoran Desert. His expeditions
brought hundreds of settlers to California. He founded the cities of Los Angeles,
San Francisco, and San Jose. De Anza was the commander of the presidio at Tubac.
DE AVILES, PEDRO MENENDEZ
Captain Pedro Menendez de Aviles (Feb. 15, 1519-Sept. 17, 1574) was a brutal
Spanish sailor, soldier, explorer, and conquistador. The King of Spain sent Aviles
to Florida in the New World, to start a Spanish settlement (St. Augustine, in
northeastern Florida), and to decimate a nearby French settlement (Fort Caroline).

For more information on De Aviles, click here.

DE AYLLON, LUCAS VAZQUEZ

Lucas V��zquez de Ayll��n (1475-1526) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who
tried to start a colony in North America in 1526. He was the first European
colonizer of what is now South Carolina. His attempt to settle the coast of the
Carolinas (near the mouth of the Peedee River at Winyah Bay) was unsuccessful.
For more information on De Ayllon, click here.

DE CHAMPLAIN, SAMUEL
Samuel de Champlain (1567?-1635) was a French explorer and navigator who mapped
much of northeastern North America and started a settlement in Quebec. Champlain
also discovered the lake later named for him (1609) and was important in
establishing and administering the French colonies in the New World.
For more information on Champlain, click here.

DE CHARLEVOIX, PIERRE FRAN?OIC-XAVIER

Pierre Fran?ois-Xavier de Charlevoix (Oct. 29, 1682 - Feb. 1, 1761) was a French
Jesuit priest, explorer, and writer. His writings are some of the earliest written
accounts of North America.
For more information on Charlevoix, click here.

DE FUCA, JUAN

Juan de Fuca (15??-1601?) was a Greek navigator who sailed for Spain under a
Spanish name; his original name was Apostolos Valerianos. De Fuca sailed up the
western coast of North America from Mexico to Vancouver Island in 1592, looking
for a passage from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. He was perhaps the
first European to see this area. He sailed through the Strait of Juan de Fuca
(which was named for him in 1725) and believed it to be the beginning of a route
to the Atlantic Ocean (it is not). This strait connects the Pacific Ocean to the
Puget Sound and the Georgia Strait, and is located between the Olympic Peninsula
of Washington state, USA, and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
After sailing back to Acapulco, Mexico, de Fuca was not rewarded by Spain for his
journey, and his discovery of the strait was not entirely believed until Captain
Vancouver retraced de Fuca's route 200 years later.

DE LA SALLE, ROBERT
Ren��-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643-1687) was a French explorer. He was
sent by King Louis XIV (14) to travel south from Canada and sail down the
Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. He was the first European to travel the
length of the Mississippi River (1682). His mission was to explore and establish
fur-trade routes along the river. La Salle named the entire Mississippi basin
Louisiana, in honor of the King, and claimed it for France on April 9, 1682. He
also explored Lake Michigan (1679), Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. He
tried to start a settlement in the southern Mississippi River Valley, but the
venture ended in disaster.
For more information on La Salle, click here.

DE LEON, PONCE
Juan Ponce de Leon (1460?-1521) was a Spanish explorer and soldier who was the
first European to set foot in Florida. He also established the oldest European
settlement in Puerto Rico and discovered the Gulf Stream (a current in the
Atlantic Ocean). Ponce de Leon was searching for the legendary fountain of youth
and other riches.
For more information on Ponce de Leon, click here.

DE NARVAEZ, PANFILO
Panfilo de Narvaez (1470?-1528) was a Spanish explorer and soldier. He helped
conquer Cuba in 1511 and led a Spanish royal expedition to North America (leaving
Spain in 1527). He was born in Valladolid, Spain and died on his expedition to
Florida.
De Narvaez was granted the land of Florida by the Emperor Charles V in 1526. He
led an expedition there with 300 men, including Cabeza de Vaca. After surviving a
hurricane near Cuba, his expedition landed on the west coast of Florida (near
Tampa Bay) in April, 1528, claiming the land for Spain.

For more information on de Narvaez, click here.

DE NIZA, MARCOS
Fray Marcos de Niza (1495 - March 25, 1558 ) was a Franciscan priest who is said
to have traveled to the fabled "Seven Golden Cities of Cibola" in what is now the
western part of New Mexico.
De Niza was born in Savoy (now in France, but it was Italian then), and became a
Franciscan friar. He sailed to the Americas in 1531, and traveled to Peru,
Guatemala, and Mexico. He freed some Native American slaves at Culiac��n, Mexico.

He and the Moorish slave Estevanico were sent from Mexico City to find Cibola by
the Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza (March to August 1539). De Niza reported that he
and Estevanico saw the extraordinarily rich "Seven Golden Cities of Cibola," but
they were later found to be simple Zuni Indian pueblos. Estevanico was killed by
Zuni Indians during this expedition. De Niza survived and eventually was in charge
of his Franciscan order (1541).

DE ONATE, JUAN

Juan de O?ate (1550?-1630) was a Spanish conquistador who established the colony
of New Mexico for Spain. O?ate was married to a granddaughter of Hern��n Cort��s.
In 1595, O?ate requested that he be sent to conquer and rule New Mexico, search
for treasure (especially the legendary silver treasure of Quivira), and bring
Christianity to the local Indians. After governmental approval, O?ate left for New
Mexico in January 1598 with 400 settlers and soldiers (and their livestock). In
July 1598, the expedition crossed the Rio Grande at El Paso. They arrived at the
Tewa pueblo of San Juan and were helped by the local Indians. O?ate's group built
San Gabriel, New Mexico's first capital. After they realized that the area was not
rich in silver, many settlers wanted to return to Mexico, but O?ate would not let
them go, and executed many of them. He was also incredibly brutal to the local
Indians, killing, enslaving, and mutilating many Indian men, women, and children.
In 1601, O?ate unsuccessfully tried to find the legendary silver of Quivira
(thought to be in what is now central Kansas). While he was gone, most of his
settlers returned to Mexico City. In 1604, he explored the area west toward the
Colorado River and south to the Gulf of California. In 1607, Spain removed him
from office (Don Pedro de Peralta was appointed to be the new governor); O?ate was
later tried and found guilty of cruelty, immorality, mismanagement, dereliction of
duties, and false reporting. He was exiled from the colony.

DE PINEDA, ALONSO ALVAREZ

Alonso Alvarez de Pineda was a Spanish explorer and map-maker. De Pineda sailed
for the Spanish Governor of Jamaica, Francisco de Garay, who sent him to explore
and chart the Gulf Coast from Florida to Mexico in 1519. Captain De Pineda and his
crew were probably the first Europeans in Texas, claiming it for Spain. One of the
regions he explored and mapped was the area around Corpus Christi Bay; De Pineda
entered Corpus Christi Bay on the feast day of Corpus Christi, hence the name.
DE PORTOLA, GASPAR
Gaspar de Portol�� (1767-1784) was a Spanish soldier, leader, and explorer.
Portol�� was appointed Governor of Las Californias from 1768-1770 and founded
Monterey and San Diego (California). As governor, Portola was ordered to arrest
and expel all Jesuits from their well-established colleges and 14 missions; many
of these missions were given to the Franciscans. In 1768, Portola volunteered to
lead a large expedition of settlers, missionaries, and soldiers up the California
coast to San Diego and Monterey (in California) in order to establish new
Franciscan missions; the expedition was planned by Jose de Galvez. Portol��'s
overland expedition began on July 14th, 1769, and included Father Junipero Serra
and 63 other men. They reached Los Angeles on August 2, 1769, Santa Barbara on
August 19, Santa Cruz on October 18, and the San Francisco Bay area on October 31
(they missed Monterey). They again failed to find Monterey on their return trip to
San Diego (both by land and by sea), so Portol��, Father Serra, and others tried
another expedition, arriving at Monterey on May 24, 1770. In 1776, Portol�� was
chosen governor of the city of Puebla; he served for eight years, until his death.

DE SOTO, HERNANDO
Hernando De Soto (1500?-1542) was a Spanish explorer who sailed the Atlantic Ocean
and was the first European to explore Florida and the southeastern US.
For more information on De Soto, click here.

DE VACA, ALVAR NUNEZ CABEZA

Alvar Nu?ez Cabeza de Vaca [Cabeza de Vaca means "head of a cow"] (1490?-1557?)
was a Spanish explorer who sailed to North America from Spain, leaving in 1527. He
traveled from Florida to Texas on a raft, then walked from Texas to Mexico City.
He also explored the Paraguay River in South America. De Vaca and his fellow
travelers were the first Europeans to see the bison, or American buffalo.
For more information on Cabeza de Vaca, click here.

DIAZ, BERNAL
Bernal Diaz del Castillo, also known as Bernal Diaz, (1492-1584) was a Spanish
historian and soldier who chronicled the Spanish conquest of Mexico. In 1514, he
went to America as a soldier, with Pedrarias D��vila, the new governor of Darien.
In 1517, he sailed to the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, with Francisco de
C��rdoba's expedition. He returned to Mexico in 1518 with Grijalva, and in 1519,
with Hernando Cort��s. This last expedition entailed over 100 battles, including
the surrender of Mexico City (in 1521). As a reward for his service, he was
appointed governor of Santiago de los Caballeros in Guatemala. Bernal Diaz del
Castillo published "Verdadera Historia de la Conquista de Nueva Espa?a", (True
History of the Conquest of New Spain) in 1568.
DRAKE, FRANCIS
Sir Francis Drake (1545-1596) was a British explorer, slave-trader, privateer (a
pirate working for a government) in the service of England, mayor of Plymouth,
England, and naval officer (he was an Admiral). Drake led the second expedition to
sail around the world in a voyage lasting from 1577 to 1580 (Magellan led the
first voyage around the world).
For more information on Francis Drake, click here.

DUBUQUE, JULIAN
Julian Dubuque (or Du Buque) was a French miner who traveled through regions of
the Upper Mississippi area of the USA. In 1786, Dubuque founded the city of
Dubuque, Iowa, USA. After buying land from the Fox Indians, he started mining lead
near what is now Dubuque. Julian Dubuque was Iowa's first European settler.
DU SABLE, JEAN-BAPTISTE-POINT
Jean-Baptiste-Point Du Sable (1750?-1818) was a Haitian-French pioneer and trader;
he founded the settlement that would later become Chicago.
For more information on Jean Du Sable, click here.

ERIC THE RED

Eric the Red (950?-1003 or 1004?) was a Viking explorer who was the first European
to sail to Greenland. He sailed from Iceland in 982 and led a group of colonists
to Greenland in 985-986.
For more information on Eric the Red, click here.

ERIKSSON, LEIF
Leif Ericsson (also spelled Eriksson) the Lucky (980?-1020?) was a Viking (Norse)
explorer who was possibly the first European to sail to North America. Leif sailed
north from the southern tip of Greenland, then went south along the coast of
Baffin Island down to Labrador, and then landed in what is now called Newfoundland
(which he called Vinland). Ericsson sailed around the year 1000.
Ericsson was born in Iceland and was one of the sons of the explorer Eric the Red.

Ericsson was probably preceded to Vinland by the Icelandic explorer Bjarni

Herjulfsson, who spotted the coast of North America in 985 or 986 when blown off
course from Iceland to Greenland (but he did not go ashore). Hearing of
Herjulfsson's discovery, Ericsson sailed for North America in the year 1000 with a
crew of 35. He landed in what is probably southern Baffin Island (which he called
Helluland, meaning the "land of the flat stone"). He then went on the what is now
Labrador (which he called Markland, meaning "forest land"). In 1001 they reached
Vinland (perhaps the southern tip of Newfoundland), where remains of an ancient
Norse settlement have been found). Ericsson and his crew returned to Green land in
the spring of 1002.

Ericsson later inherited his father's position as leader of the Norse colony in
Greenland.

ESTEVANICO
Estevanico (pronounced es-tay-vahn-EE-co), also called Estevan, Esteban,
Estebanico, Black Stephen, and Stephen the Moor (1500?-1539) was a Muslim slave
from northern Africa (Azamor, Morocco) who was one of the early explorers of the
Southwestern United States.
For more information on Estevanico, click here.

FRANKLIN, JOHN
Sir John Franklin (1786-1847) was an English explorer and Admiral who proved the
existence of a Northwest Passage (a water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the
Pacific Ocean through Canada). In 1819 to 1822, Franklin surveyed part of the
northwestern Canadian coast east of the Coppermine River. On a second expedition,
from 1825 to 1827, Franklin explored the North American coast from the mouth of
the Mackenzie River, in northwestern Canada, westward to Point Beechey (Alaska,
USA).
In 1845, Franklin sailed from England with an expedition of 128 men to Canada in
search of Northwest Passage. The ship became trapped in ice, and the desperate,
freezing and starving survivors resorted to cannibalism. A small contingent of the
expedition (without Franklin) may have reached Simpson Strait, the final part of
the Northwest Passage. Scottish explorer John Rae determined that Franklin and his
expedition had died of starvation and exposure in the Arctic; Eskimos at Pelly Bay
told Rae of Franklin's fate. Lead poisoning from poorly-canned food may have also
hastened their death.

For more information on Franklin, click here.

FROBISHER, MARTIN
Sir Martin Frobisher (1535?-1594) was an English privateer (a pirate licensed by
the British government), navigator, explorer, and naval officer. After years of
sailing to northwestern Africa, and then looting French ships in the English
Channel, Frobisher sailed to northeastern North America to search for a Northwest
Passage (a sea route across northern Canada from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific
Ocean, making the trip to Asia easier).
For more information on Frobisher, click here.

GARCES, FRANCISCO
Father Francisco Tom��s Garc��s, (April 12, 1738 - July 18, 1781) was a Spanish
Franciscan priest who was a missionary and explorer. Father Garces explored the
southwestern part of North America, including what is now Arizona, U.S., southern
California, and the Gila and Colorado rivers (including the western Grand Canyon).
He visited Hopi and Havasupai Indians, learning much about the area.
From 1768 to 1776, Father Garces explored with Juan Bautista de Anza and alone
with native guides. He and Juan D��az died in a Yuman uprising in the area where
the Colorado and Gila rivers meet; they were trying to find a route from Sonora,
Mexico to California.

GILBERT, HUMPHREY
Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1539-1583) was an English nobleman, Army officer, member of
Parliament, and explorer.
Early in his career, Gilbert started English settlements in Ireland (to try to
stop the Irish rebellion) and, much later, sailed to North America in search of a
Northwest Passage (a sea route to Asia through North America). He founded an
English settlement in Newfoundland.

For more infromation on Gilbert, click here.

GRAY, ROBERT
Robert Gray (1755-1806) was a American explorer who had previously been in the
Navy during the Revolutionary War. Gray sailed from Boston, Massachusetts, in
1787, and traveled around South America to the northwest coast of North America
and on to China, where he traded furs for tea. He began his journey with Captain
John Kendrick on a sister ship. Gray continued west and returned to Boston in
1790. Gray was the first American-born explorer in an American ship to
circumnavigate the globe. In 1791, he led another expedition to the northwest
coast on a ship called "Columbia." In 1792, Gray sighted, named, and sailed up the
Columbia River in Oregon, and also explored Gray's Harbor in what is now the state
of Washington. Because of Gray's exploration, the United States now laid claim to
the Oregon territory. Gray again continued westwards and circumnavigated the globe
again, returning to Boston in 1793.
HAWKINS, JOHN
Sir John Hawkins [also spelled Hawkyns] (1532- 1595) was an English naval officer,
slave trader, privateer, and cousin of Sir Francis Drake.
Hawkins sailed to Hispaniola (now Haiti) in 1562-1563 for a London syndicate of
businessmen in order to trade Guinean (West African) slaves in the Spanish West
Indies. Hawkins was the first English slave trader. He was hated by the Spanish,
who did not want foreigners entering their highly profitable slave-trading
business. Queen Elizabeth backed a second and third slave-trading expedition
(1564-1565).

During a third West Indies slave-trading trip with Drake, a need for repairs sent
their six ships to a harbor in San Juan de Ulua, near Veracruz, Mexico. The
Spanish fleet then attacked the English ships; only two ships survived (those
commanded by Hawkins and Drake).

This attack led to a series of battles that later culminated in a war between the
Spain and England. In this war, England crushed the Spanish Armada in 1588 and
became the dominant world power. Hawkins was third in command during this
struggle. He invented the strategy of blockading the Spanish Armada at the Azores
(islands in the Atlantic Ocean far off the coast of Spain) and stealing the
treasures that the Spanish had stolen from the New World.

Hawkins died on Nov. 12, 1595, before an attack of Puerto Rico; he and Drake had
sailed with 27 ships to raid the Spanish West Indies.

HERIOLF
Heriolf was one of the Viking settlers who who sailed with Eric the Red in A.D.
986 and settled in the new colony that Eric established in Greenland. Heriolf was
among 400 to 500 settlers who traveled with Eric the Red from Breidafjord,
Iceland, in 14 ships to settle in southern Greenland. After doing well for a
while, the settlement experienced unusually cold weather. What happened to Heriolf
after settling in Greenland is unknown.
HERJULFSSON, BJARNI
Bjarni Herjulfsson was an Icelandic explorer who was possibly the first European
to see the continent of North America, but he did not go ashore. In 985 or 986, he
spotted Vinland (what is now probably Nova Scotia) after being blown off course on
a journey from Iceland to Greenland. Upon his return, he spoke of a hilly,
forested land west of Greenland. Leif Ericsson probably heard of Vinland from
Herjulfsson, and roughly 14 years later, sailed there.
HUDSON, HENRY
Henry Hudson (1565-1611) was an English explorer and navigator who explored parts
of the Arctic Ocean and northeastern North America. The Hudson River, Hudson
Strait, and Hudson Bay are named for Hudson.
For more information on Hudson, click here.

HUMBOLDT, ALEXANDER VON

Baron Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was a Prussian naturalist and explorer
who explored much of Central and South America. Humboldt and his friend, the
French botanist Aime Bonpland, explored the coast of Venezuela, the Amazon and
Orinoco Rivers, and much of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Mexico (1799-1805).
On their many expeditions, Humboldt and Bonpland collected plant, animal, and
mineral specimens, studied electiricity, did extensive mapping of northern South
America, climbed mountains, observed astronomical phenomena, and performed many
scientific observations.

For more information on Humboldt, click here.

JOLIET, LOUIS
Louis Joliet (1645-1700) was a Canadian explorer (born in Qu��bec City) who
explored the Canadian wilderness, including the Great Lakes area. He and Father
Jacques Marquette found the Mississippi River in 1673; they were the first
Caucasians to see the Mississippi River. Together, they travelled along Lake
Michigan to Green Bay, canoed up the Fox River, and went downstream on the
Wisconsin River to the Mississippi River. They travelled almost to the mouth of
the Arkansas, and then stopped because they were warned of hostile Indians and
Spanish explorers. They returned via the Illinois River, then the Chicago River to
Lake Michigan. Joliet's journal and his maps were lost when his canoe overturned
on the rapids of the Montreal River. Marquette's diary is all that remains of
their journey. Joliet expanded fur trade westward, did extensive mapping, and
established a fort on Anticosti Island.
KELSEY, HENRY
Henry Kelsey (1667-1724) was a British explorer of inland Canada. Also known as
Boy Kelsey, he became the first inland explorer of the Hudson's Bay Company when
he was seventeen years old (in 1684). On an expedition lasting from 1688 to 1690,
Kelsey travelled to the Churchill River region. During his second expedition (1690
- 1692), Kelsey was the first European to see the Canadian prairies. Kelsey
extended the trade routes of the Hudson's Bay Company's trade to the Saskatchewan
River by negotiating with various Indian tribes, including the Bree, the Gros
Ventres. Kelsey spoke Cree (and perhaps Assiniboin); he respected and enjoyed
Indian culture. After his Canadian expeditions, Kelsey returned to his native
England and remained with the Hudson's Bay Company. The company kept his journeys
secret for many years since they were crucial to its trade. Kelsey's journal was
re-discovered in 1926.
KINO, EUSEBIO
Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, S. J., (Aug. 10, 1645 - March 15, 1711) was a
Jesuit priest, missionary, explorer, map-maker, mathematician, and astronomer.
Kino was a missionary who founded many missions and explored areas in southwestern
North America (Pimer��a Alta), including areas in what are now northern Sonora
(Mexico), southern California (USA) and southern Arizona (USA).
For more information on Kino, click here.

LA HARPE, JEAN BAPTISTE BERNARD de

Jean Baptiste B��nard de La Harpe (1683- September 26, 1765) was a French
explorer, trader, and soldier who sailed to the southern USA in 1718. He explored
the Mississippi, Arkansas, Red, and Sulphur Rivers, and the area near Galveston
Bay. He helped settle the area along the Red River, established a trading post,
and built a fort.
For more information, click here.

LA PEROUSE, JEAN-FRANCOIS
Jean-Fran?ois de Galoup, Comte de La P��rouse (August 23, 1741-1788) was a French
explorer and naval officer. La Perouse mapped the west coast of North America in
1786, and visited the Easter Islands and Sandwich Islands (now called Hawaii). He
was lost at sea while searching for the Solomon Islands (after reaching
Australia's Botany Bay).
For more information on La Perouse, click here.

LA SALLE, ROBERT
Ren��-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643-1687) was a French explorer. He was
sent by King Louis XIV (14) to travel south from Canada and sail down the
Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. He was the first European to travel the
length of the Mississippi River (1682). His mission was to explore and establish
fur-trade routes along the river. La Salle named the entire Mississippi basin
Louisiana, in honor of the King, and claimed it for France on April 9, 1682. He
also explored Lake Michigan (1679), Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. He
tried to start a settlement in the southern Mississippi River Valley, but the
venture ended in disaster.
For more information on La Salle, click here.

LA VERENDRYE, PIERRE de
Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La V��rendrye (1685-1749) was a Canadian
soldier and explorer who traveled farther west than any previous European explorer
had; he traveled to Lake Winnipeg and then southwest, almost reaching the Missouri
River. He was searching for a route across Canada from the Atlantic Ocean to the
Pacific Ocean. His father was the sieur de Varennes, the governor of Trois
Rivi��res, Quebec, Canada.
For more information on La V��rendrye, click here.
LEWIS AND CLARK
Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) and William Clark (1770-1838) set out in May 1804 to
explore and map the American West. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the
expedition to explore the newly-bought Louisiana Territory. Lewis and Clark were
accompanied by a crew of men, and later, the Shoshone Indian guide and interpreter
Sacagawea and her infant son. Lewis and Clark travelled by river and by land from
St. Louis, Missouri, to the Oregon coast (Fort Clatsop), and back again. Their
journey took 2 years, 4 months, and 10 days; they covered over 8,000 miles.
For more information on Lewis and Clark, click here.

Activities: Print out this map, then draw Lewis and Clark's route and label the
states they passed through.
Do a cloze (fill-in-the-blank) activity on Lewis and Clark,

MACKENZIE, ALEXANDER
Sir Alexander Mackenzie (1755?-1820) was a Scottish-born fur trader and explorer
who charted the Mackenzie River in Canada and also traveled to the Pacific Ocean.
Mackenzie emigrated to Canada in 1779. From 1788 to 1796 , he commanded the
trading post Fort Chipewyan, on Lake Athabasca in Alberta. In 1789, Mackenzie went
on an expedition to chart the 1,100-mile Mackenzie River, travelling from the
Great Slave Lake to the mouth of the Mackenzie in the Arctic Ocean, using Peter
Pond's incorrect prediction that a river led from that lake to the Pacific Ocean.
In 1793, on his second expedition, Mackenzie went from Ft. Chipewyan across the
Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast in is now British Columbia, going via the
Peace, Parsnip, McGregor and Fraser Rivers and overland. He was the first European
to cross the North American continent north of Mexico (and he did this twice).
Mackenzie later retired to his native Scotland. Mackenzie wrote "Voyage from
Montreal on the River St. Lawrence, Through the Continent of North America, to the
Frozen and Pacific Oceans, in the Years 1789 and 1793," which was published in
1801.
MARQUETTE, FATHER JACQUES
Father Jacques Marquette (1637-1675) was a French Jesuit priest and explorer. He
sailed to Quebec in 1666 and in 1671 started a Chippewa mission at Chequamegon Bay
(at the western end of Lake Superior). Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette
(and five others) found the Mississippi River in 1673; they were the first
Caucasians to see the Mississippi River. They travelled along Lake Michigan to
Green Bay, canoed up the Fox River, and went downstream on the Wisconsin River to
the Mississippi River. They travelled almost to the mouth of the Arkansas, and
then stopped because they were warned of hostile Indians and Spanish explorers.
They returned via the Illinois River, then the Chicago River to Lake Michigan.
Marquette died of dysentery on his way to the Kaskaskian Indians, to whom he had
planned on preaching.
MINUIT, PETER
Peter Minuit (1580-1638) was the first director general of New Amsterdam, a Dutch
colony in America. Minuit was sent to the area by the Dutch West India Company.
Minuit is famous for buying the island of Manhattan (in what is now New York, USA)
from Native Americans in 1626. He bought the island with trinkets valued at about
$24. He founded New Amsterdam on the southern tip of Manhattan. In 1631, Minuit
was dismissed from the Dutch West India Company, and in 1638 headed a Swedish
group that founded New Sweden (the first European settlement on the Delaware
River). Minuit bought land from the Native Americans and founded Fort Christina
(near what is now Wilmington, Delaware, USA). Minuit died in a hurricane in the
West Indies while on a trading mission in 1638.
NEWPORT, CHRISTOPHER
Captain Christopher Newport (1560? - 1617) was an English privateer and navigator
who transported colonists to the first permanent English colony in America,
Jamestown, and sailed back and forth from England to the New World five times
between 1606 and 1611, transporting both supplies and colonists. Captain Newport
had been hired by the Virginia Company to transport the colonists. On December 19,
1606, Captain Newport sailed from London, England, commanding three small ships,
the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, carrying the Jamestown, Virginia
settlers, including Capt. John Smith. Jamestown was founded on May 14, 1607, by
this small group of English settlers. Newport left the 104 settlers in June 22,
1607, sailing back to England for supplies. That winter, most of the Jamestown
settlers died from starvation, attacks, and disease. In 1608, back in Virginia,
Newport halted the execution of Captain John Smith (the Jamestown leader who had
been accused of causing the deaths of the men on his expedition to obtain food
from the Indians); Smith's life had been previously saved by Pocahontas when he
was brought before the Indian Chief Powhatan. On his fourth trip to America (in
1609), Newport was ship-wrecked in the Bermuda Islands and did not reach Virginia
until mid-1610. After his American adventures, he sailed to Persia in 1613-1614
for the East India Company. Captain Newport died in Bantam, Java in 1617 on a
voyage to the East Indies.
NARVAEZ, PANFILO DE
Panfilo de Narvaez (1470?-1528) was a Spanish explorer and soldier. He helped
conquer Cuba in 1511 and led a Spanish royal expedition to North America (leaving
Spain in 1527). He was born in Valladolid, Spain and died on his expedition to
Florida.
De Narvaez was granted the land of Florida by the Emperor Charles V in 1526. He
led an expedition there with 300 men, including Cabeza de Vaca. After surviving a
hurricane near Cuba, his expedition landed on the west coast of Florida (near
Tampa Bay) in April, 1528, claiming the land for Spain.

For more information on de Narvaez, click here.

NICOLLET, JEAN
Jean Nicollet [also spelled Nicolet] (1598 - 1642) was a French explorer who was
the first European to travel through the Great Lakes area, visiting Lake Michigan
and what are now Wisconsin and Illinois, possibly reaching the Mississippi River.
For many years, Nicollet lived among the Native Americans in what is now the
Ontario, Canada area.
For more information on Nicollet, click here.

PEARY, ROBERT E.
Robert Edwin Peary (May 6, 1856 - Feb. 20, 1920) was an American explorer and
Naval officer who led the first expedition to the North Pole. In 1909, Peary,
Matthew A. Henson, and four Eskimos were the first people to reach the North Pole.

For more information on Peary, click here.

PEREZ, JUAN
Juan Perez (ca.1725-1775) was a Spanish navigator who explored the northwest coast
of North America. He sailed from Port San Blas, Mexico up the coast of North
America in 1774, in a ship named the Santiago. He had been ordered to sail as far
north as Alaska (60 degrees north latitude), but only made to what is now British
Columbia because of bad weather. He anchored his 82-foot ship off the Queen
Charlotte Islands, by northern Vancouver Island. On two occasions, Native
Americans canoed to Perez's ship to trade and invite Perez ashore. Perez never
went ashore, and so wasn't able to claim the land for Spain. He made detailed
reports of the shoreline and his reports prompted later expeditions.
PIKE, ZEBULON M.
Zebulon Montgomery Pike (January 5, 1779 - April 27, 1813) was an American
explorer and military officer (he served in the War of 1812). Pike tried to find
the source of the Mississippi River; he also explored the Rocky Mountains and
southwestern North America. Pike's Peak in Colorado is named for him.
For more information on Pike, click here.

PINZON, MARTIN ALONZO

Martin Alonzo Pinzon (1441? - 1493) was a Spanish explorer and navigator who
sailed with Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the New World, as captain
of the Pinta (he was also the co-owner of the Nina and the Pinta). He is
remembered for being disloyal and competitive with Christopher Columbus.
For more information on Martin Alonzo Pinzon, click here.

PINZON, VINCENTE
Vincente Y��?ez Pinzon (1460? - 1523?) was a Spanish explorer and navigator who
sailed with Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the New World, as captain
of the Ni?a. His older brother, Martin Pinzon, was captain of the Pinta and the
co-owner of both the Nina and the Pinta.
In 1499, Vincente Pinzon sailed to the Brazilian coast (at a cape he named Santa
Mar��a de la Consolaci��n). From there, he sailed northwest to the Amazon River,
whose mouth he explored. He sailed north to northeastern Venezuela (to the Gulf of
Paria) and then returned to Spain.

In 1508, he sailed to the New World twice with Juan D��az de Sol��s, trying to
find a a passage to the Spice Islands. They sailed to Central America, but the
exact locations of these explorations are unknown (they either sailed to Honduras
and the Yucat��n peninsula or to Venezuela and Brazil).

PIZARRO, FRANCISCO
Francisco Pizarro (1478-1541) was a Spanish conquistador who traveled through much
of the Pacific coast of America along Peru. He "discovered" the Incan empire and
conquered it brutally and quickly, stealing immense hoards of gold, silver, and
other treasures.
For more information on Pizarro, click here.

PONTIAC, CHIEF
Chief Pontiac (1720 - April 20, 1769) was a great leader of the Ottawa Indian
tribe. He organized his and other tribes in the Great Lakes area to fight the
British, in what is known as Pontiac's War (1763-1764).
For more information on Pontiac, click here.

PORTOLA, GASPAR DE
Gaspar de Portol�� (1767-1784) was a Spanish soldier, leader, and explorer.
Portol�� was appointed Governor of Las Californias from 1768-1770 and founded
Monterey and San Diego (California). As governor, Portola was ordered to arrest
and expel all Jesuits from their well-established colleges and 14 missions; many
of these missions were given to the Franciscans. In 1768, Portola volunteered to
lead a large expedition of settlers, missionaries, and soldiers up the California
coast to San Diego and Monterey (in California) in order to establish new
Franciscan missions; the expedition was planned by Jose de Galvez. Portol��'s
overland expedition began on July 14th, 1769, and included Father Junipero Serra
and 63 other men. They reached Los Angeles on August 2, 1769, Santa Barbara on
August 19, Santa Cruz on October 18, and the San Francisco Bay area on October 31
(they missed Monterey). They again failed to find Monterey on their return trip to
San Diego (both by land and by sea), so Portol��, Father Serra, and others tried
another expedition, arriving at Monterey on May 24, 1770. In 1776, Portol�� was
chosen governor of the city of Puebla; he served for eight years, until his death.

RADISSON, PIERRE ESPRIT

Pierre Esprit Radisson (1636-1710) was a French explorer and fur trader who
settled in Canada in 1651. He and his brother-in-law, M��dard Chouart de
Groseillier, were the first European explorers to see what is now Minnesota.
Radisson was instrumental in forming the Hudson's Bay Company (an English fur
trading monopoly which was founded in 1670). Radisson also trekked to Hudson Bay
(in 1668 and 1670). Radisson wrote about his treks through the North American
wilderness and his capture by the Iroquois (1651-1653).
RAE, JOHN
John Rae (1813-1893) was a Scottish explorer, surveyor, and surgeon who explored
the Canadian Arctic. Rae made three voyages, in 1848-1849, 1851, and 1853-1854, to
find the Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, who had disappeared together with his
Arctic expedition. Rae surveyed and mapped over 1,400 miles (2255 km) of uncharted
Canadian coastline. He also showed that King William Land was an island. On his
third journey, Rae determined that Franklin and his expedition had died of
starvation and exposure in the Arctic; Eskimos at Pelly Bay told Rae of Franklin's
fate. During his Arctic expeditions, the hearty Rae walked over 23,000 miles
(37000 km).
RALEIGH, WALTER
Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618) was a British explorer, poet, historian, and
soldier. Raleigh led expeditions to both North America and South America; he was
trying to found new settlements, find gold, and increase trade with the New World.
In 1585, Raleigh sent colonists to the east coast of North America; Raleigh later
named that area Virginia, in honour of Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen. He is often
credited with bringing tobacco and potatoes from the New World to Britain, but
they were already known there. Raleigh was later executed by King James I for
treason.
SACAJAWEA
Sacajawea, also spelled Sacagawea (1788-1812) was a Shoshone Indian who guided,
and acted as interpreter and negotiator for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on
their exploratory expedition. She traveled with them from North Dakota to the
Oregon coast and back.
For more information on Sacajawea, click here.

SERRA, JUNIPERO
Father Junipero Serra (1713-1784) was a Spanish Franciscan priest who traveled to
Mexico in 1749 to do missionary work and perform other church functions.
In 1767, Serra went north from Mexico to what is now California and continued his
missionary work, converting native Americans zealously (sometimes forcibly). He
founded many missions in California, including the Mission of San Diego (founded
in 1769) and 8 other missions, which were often built by the forced labor of
Indians who were rounded up by Spanish soldiers. The death rate of Native
Americans at Serra's missions was tremendously high; many more died than were
baptized. Serra also helped an expedition in locating San Francisco.

Father Serra was well-known for his acts of mortification of the flesh; he wore
heavy hair shirts with sharp wires that rubbed against his skin, he whipped
himself, and he burned himself with candles. Although the Catholic church bestowed
sainthood on Serra in 1988 for his missionary work, his cruelty and the
tremendously negative effect he had on Native Americans have made him a very
controversial saint to many people.

SMITH, JEDEDIAH
Jedediah Smith (1798-1831) was an American mountain man, hunter, trapper, and
explorer. Smith was from New York and was the first European American to reach
California overland from the east (though the Rocky Mountains and the Mojave
Desert). He was also the first European American to cross the Great Basin Desert
via the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Salt Lake (on his return from
California). During this trip, the heat was so unbearable that Smith and his men
resorted to burying themselves in the sand during the hottest parts of the day.
Smith was killed by Comanche Indians on the Santa Fe Trail near the Cimarron River
in 1831. His body was never found. Smith never published an account of his
travels, so little is known about them.
SMITH, JOHN
John Smith (January 9, 1580 - June, 1631) was an English adventurer and soldier,
and one of the founders and leaders of the Jamestown, Virginia, settlement. Smith
also led expeditions exploring Chesapeake Bay and the New England coast.
Smith was one of 105 settlers who sailed from England on December 19, 1606, and
landed in Virginia on April 26, 1607. When they reached North America, the group
opened sealed instructions and found that Smith was chosen as one of the seven
leaders of the new colony.

For more information on John Smith, click here.

DE SOTO, HERNANDO
Hernando De Soto (1500?-1542) was a Spanish explorer who sailed the Atlantic Ocean
and was the first European to explore Florida and the southeastern US.
For more information on De Soto, click here.

STEFANSSON, VILHJALMUR
Vilhjalmur Stefansson (November 3, 1879 - August 26, 1962) was a Canadian explorer
(born of Icelandic parents) who explored the Canadian Arctic and lived among the
Inuits (Eskimos) for many years.
For more information on Stefansson, click here.

STUYVESANT, PETER
Peter Stuyvesant (1592-1672) was a Dutch colonial governor of New Amsterdam (now
called New York City). Stuyvesant was born in Holland and began working for the
Dutch West India Company in 1632. In 1643, Stuyvesant was appointed the director
of Cura?ao, Aruba, and Bonaire (islands in the Caribbean). Fighting against the
Portuguese in the Caribbean, Stuyvesant lost his right leg when it was crushed by
a cannonball, and thereafter walked on a silver-tipped wooden leg.
In 1645, Stuyvesant became the director general of the extensive Dutch lands in
North America, including islands in the Caribbean. He went to New Amsterdam (New
York City, New York) as governor in 1647, succeeding Willem Kieft. Stuyvesant
ruled the chaotic colony in a harsh, despotic manner that was often resented by
the colonists. After the colonists demanded self-governance, Stuyvesant appointed
a 9-man advisory board based on a model of Dutch government (this was the first
municipal government in New Amsterdam), but Stuyvesant was still in charge. In a
boundary dispute, Stuyvesant gave up a large tract of land between New Netherland
and Connecticut in 1650. He also conquered New Sweden, driving Swedish colonists
from their land along the Delaware River.

Stuyvesant lost New Amsterdam to the British in 1664, when the colonists decided
to surrender to the British without a fight (against Stuyvesant's wishes). New
Amsterdam was renamed New York, and the British Captain Richard Nicholls became
governor. Stuyvesant later retired to his 62-acre farm on Manhattan, called the
Great Bouwerie. (Bouwerie is the old Dutch word for farm, from which the modern-
day Bowery gets its name.) Stuyvesant died in August, 1672.

THOMPSON, DAVID
David Thompson (1770-1857) was a Welsh explorer (born in London, England);
Thompson's family name was originally as Tomos. Thompson was also a mapmaker,
surveyor, fur trader, and journal writer. . Thompson explored western North
America, including what is now western Canada and the western USA. Thompson was
the first European to explore the entire length of Columbia River. Thompson's
detailed maps of western North America were the first ones made, and were the
basis of maps for years to come. Thompson began working as a clerk for the
Hudson's Bay Company in 1784. In 1796, Thompson explored Lake Athabasca. In 1797,
Thompson joined and become a partner in the North West Company (a rival trapping
company). In 1797-1798, Thompson went on an expedition down the Missouri River; he
discovered Turtle Lake, one of the headwaters of the Mississippi River, in 1798.
In 1807, Thompson crossed the Rocky Mountains and built the first trading post on
the Columbia River. From 1818 to 1826, Thomson surveyed the border between Canada
and the USA.
VACA, ALVAR NUNEZ CABEZA DE
Alvar Nu?ez Cabeza de Vaca [Cabeza de Vaca means "head of a cow"] (1490?-1557?)
was a Spanish explorer who sailed to North America from Spain, leaving in 1527. He
traveled from Florida to Texas on a raft, then walked from Texas to Mexico City.
He also explored the Paraguay River in South America. De Vaca and his fellow
travelers were the first Europeans to see the bison, or American buffalo.
For more information on Cabeza de Vaca, click here.

VANCOUVER, GEORGE
Captain George Vancouver (1758-1798) was an English explorer and navigator who
sailed to the northwest coast of North America. His two ships, "Discovery" and
"Chatham," reached the Strait of Juan de Fuca (near what is now the US-Canadian
border) in May, 1792. He then sailed to Puget Sound (near what is now Seattle);
Vancouver named Puget Sound (he named it for Lieutenant Peter Puget who was
sailing under Captain Vancouver on the ship "Discovery"). Vancouver also named Mt.
Rainier, Whidbey Island, and the Hood Canal. The expedition then sailed north,
discovering what is now called Vancouver Island, and then sailing around it.
Vancouver Island and the city of Vancouver are named for him. Vancouver had
previously served under Captain James Cook on his second and third voyages sailing
around the world.
VERRAZZANO, GIOVANNI DA
Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485-1528) was an Italian navigator who, in 1524, explored
the northeast coast of North America from Cape Fear, North Carolina to Maine while
searching for a Northwest passage to Asia. Verrazzano sailed for King Fran?ois-
premier (Francis I) of France. Verrazzano's brother, Girolamo da Verrazzano, was a
mapmaker who accompanyed Giovanni on his voyage, and mapped the voyage.
Verrazzano left Madeira, Spain, on January 17, 1524, and landed at Cape Fear on
March 1. He first sailed south, then returned and sailed north, to New York,
anchoring the narrows that are now name for him. He sailed up to Maine and then on
to New Foundland, Canada, and back to Europe (landing in Dieppe, France on July
8). Verrazzano thought that North America was a thin isthmus separating the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Verrazzano was killed and eaten by Carib Indians in
1528. The Verrazzano Narrows Bridge, a suspension bridge that spans New York
Harbor, connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island (New York, USA), was named for
Verrazzano.

VESPUCCI, AMERIGO
Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) was an Italian explorer who was the first person to
realize that the Americas were separate from the continent of Asia. America was
named for him in 1507, when the German mapmaker Martin Waldseem��ller, printed the
first map that used the name America for the New World.
On his first expedition (sailing for Spain, 1499-1500), Vespucci was the navigator
under under the command of Alonso de Ojeda. On this trip, Ojeda and Vespucci
discovered the mouth of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers in South America, thinking
it was part of Asia. On his second expedition (sailing for Portugal, 1501-02) he
mapped some of the eastern coast of South America, and came to realize that it not
part of Asia, but a New World.

VIZCA��NO, SEBASTI��N
Sebasti��n Vizca��no (1550?-1628?) was a Spanish nobleman, explorer and merchant.
In 1602, Vizcaino sailed up te coast of California in three ships at the request
of King Phillip II of Spain. Vizcaino named Monterey Bay (named for the viceroy
Conde de Monterey who sponsored this voyage) and San Diego (Vizcaino arrived there
on the feast day of San Diego de Alcala, November 12). One ship sailed as far
north as Oregon. Vizcaino also named San Clemente, Catalina, Santa Barbara, Point
Concepcion, Carmel, Monterey, La Paz, and Ano Nuevo. Most of the crew died from
scurvy (a lack of vitamin C). Although Cabrillo had already named many of these
place, Vizcaino published well-read accounts of his voyages, and his names were
used. Vizcaino's earlier attempt, in 1596, to colonize southern California failed;
it was 150 years before other Europeans came to California. Vizca��no travelled to
Japan in 1610, meeting with the retired shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in Sumpu (now
Shizuoka); Vizcaino returned to Mexico with a mission led by Hasekura Tsunenaga,
who both hoped to open trade between Mexico/Spain and Japan (but the mission
failed after the expelled Japanese Christian priests from Japan, angering the
Spanish). Sebasti��n Vizca��no Bay, a bay of the Pacific Ocean, in the western
Baja California peninsula, Mexico, is named for Vizcaino.
VON HUMBOLDT, ALEXANDER
Baron Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was a Prussian naturalist and explorer
who explored much of Central and South America. Humboldt and his friend, the
French botanist Aime Bonpland, explored the coast of Venezuela, the Amazon and
Orinoco Rivers, and much of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Mexico (1799-1805).
On their many expeditions, Humboldt and Bonpland collected plant, animal, and
mineral specimens, studied electiricity, did extensive mapping of northern South
America, climbed mountains, observed astronomical phenomena, and performed many
scientific observations.

For more information on Humboldt, click here.