THE AGE OF EXPLORATION

LEIF ERIKSSON

• First known travel to and from the Americas.
• Ended up in North America when his ship was blown off course.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

• Wanted to find a water route to Asia.
• Sailed west and ended up in the Americas thinking he was in Asia.

FERDINAND MAGELLAN

• Credited as first to circumnavigate the globe.
• Killed in the along the way, he didn't finish the journey, but his crew did.

THE COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE

• The Columbian Exchange began with the explorations of Christopher Columbus.
• This transfer consisted of European explorers bringing plants and animals to and from the Americas.
• The explorers also introduced deadly diseases to the Native Americans.

CONQUISTADORS

• The Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers who led military expeditions in the Americas.
• The Conquistadors helped to claim land that was already inhabited by the Native Americans.

THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE

• European nations wanted to find an all water that would allow sailing from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
• Jacques Cartier explored the Saint Laurence River. He claimed land for France in the process.
• The Northwest Passage wasn't found, but Jacques Cartier's explorations led to more interest in North America.

THE MIDDLE PASSAGE

• The Middle Passage took place between the 1520s and 1860s.
• It was a voyage during which people in Africa were enslaved, shipped to, and traded in different places.