In 1497, he was commissioned my the Portuguese king to find a route to the East. On July 8, 1497, he set sail with 4 ships. After passing the previously discovered tip of Africa, he arrived at the port of Mozambique, located on the East side of Africa, but was turned away. On March 20, 1498, he became the first explorer to find a route from Europe to India by sailing around Africa when he landed in Calicut. In spite of the initial confusion caused by them thinking the Indians were Christian, they were welcomed by the local people. The Muslim traders on the other hand weren't so friendly. In August, he is his crew set sail back for Portugal, leaving without a trade treaty due to their lackluster offerings. The first of his ships arrived back on July 10, 1499. In 1502 he was asked to return to India to assert their dominance over them. Terrorizing Muslim port cities on their way there, he arrived at Calicut, wrecked their trade post, and killed 38 hostages. He formed an alliance with the nearby ruler of Cochin. He sailed back to Portugal and arrived there on December 11, 1503. In 1524 he was sent back to Cochin, India where he died of an unknown sickness a few months later.
Interesting Facts:

Died: Cape of Good Hope 1500
Explored for Portugal
Sailed from August 1487 to May 1488
Purpose: To find a trade route with India for King John ll of Portugal and to  find lands ruled by the fabled Prester John a Christian Priest and Ruler.
He discovered a sea route from Europe to Asia and discovered the Cape of Good Hope.
Interesting Facts: Supervised the building of two ships in 1494 that would be part of the 1st successful voyage to India.
Was also a knight of the Portuguese Royal Court.
He originally named the Cape of Good Hope the Cape of Storms because a storm blew his ships right past the tips of Africa.

Where He Died: Overcome by fever, Soto died in present day Ferriday, Louisiana along the Mississippi River.
What Country Did He Explore For: While on Francisco Pizarro's expedition he participated in the conquest of Peru traveling from Spain.
What Years Did He Explore: 1531 to 1542
What Was His Purpose For His Explorations: de Soto joined the new enterprise for the search of gold. Commissioned by the Spanish crown to conquer and colonize what is now Florida, and at his own expense, the entire region that is now the southern part of the United States, de Soto looking for gold, headed inland of the United States in search of treasure.
What Did He Discover: He participated in the conquests of Central America ,and in the course of exploring what was to become the southeastern United States. He discovered the Mississippi River while he and his men traveled through present-day Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

3 Intresting Facts: -His parents wanted him to become a lawyer, but instead he became a conquistador/explorer.

-Hernando de Soto's body was not buried. His crew members sank his corpse in the Mississippi River.

-Hernando de Soto was one of the most brutal explorers there was in the colonial age. He was named to the Explorer Hall of Fame in Genoa, Italy , but the pick wasn’t without controversy. Many people fought against his inclusion because of the cruelties that he inflicted during his journeys;he was extremely cruel to those he fought in battle, including the Natives in North America and the Incas in Peru.

What year(s) did he explore? 
His first year exploring started in 1500, the year of which he stopped exploring is unknown.

What was he purpose for sailing (exploring)?
To establish trading post in India and solidify the trade relations first established by Vasco da Gama

What did he discover? 
He was the first European to discover Brazil

Interesting facts that you learn about the explorer?  

(1)He was trying to get to India and ended up in Brazil !

2) Brazil is called Brazil because of the wood he found that he found there named Terra do Brasil.

3) According to myth, it is said the Cabrals descended from Caranus, the first king of Macedonia, and according to legenda descendent of Hercules, the demi-god. The family were honored and rose to prominence in the 14th century as a result of Pedro’s military commander great-great-grandfather being one of the few nobles to support and remain loyal to Dom Joao the first, the King of Portugal during the war against the King of Castile.

-Columbus was an Italian who explored for Spain 

-1476& 1492 

-During this time, trade between Europe and Asia was extremely lucrative therefore the purpose of Christopher Columbus's first voyage was to find a shorter route to Asia. Columbus failed in this attempt. 

-Instead of finding Asia, he found the “New World.” which became later known as the America's.  

Birth date: August 13, 1574 Hiers-Brouage, France
Death date: December 25,1635
Country he explored for: France
Years he explored: 1598,1603,1604
Purpose for explorations: He explored the St. Lawrence River for the king.
What he discovered: He founded Quebec, the first French colony in the Americas.
3 Interesting Facts:
1) Champlain aided the Huron Indians in an attack on the Iroquois, but was injured by an arrow. He couldn't walk, so he stayed with the Huron's, and documented a detailed account of their life.

2)His father and uncle were navigators, which gave him early exposure to the field.

3) His wife was 31 years younger than him and after his death she became a nun.

By: Rihana Sheikh

When he was born: c 1485, in Val di Greve, Republic of Florence

When he died: c 1528 in Guadeloupe

What country did he explore for: Though from Italy, Verrazzano explored France.

What years did he explore for: On the night of January 17th, 1524 Verrazzano set sail and would continue to explore until 1528. 

What was his purpose for exploration: Around 1520 France was falling behind in exploration of the west. Francis the I then made a plan to expand France’s reign and met with Verrazzano in either 1522 or 1523.

What he discovered: In 1524, he left on his first expedition and landed at Cape Fear, Carolina. He then travelled north towards New York where passed Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay. A major stop was when Verrazzano found New York Bay which is now known as ‘’Verrazzano’s Narrows’’. He continued his voyage north where he stopped at Maine, but was unable to explore as tribes began fighting the sailors. When the ship reached Newfoundland, Canada they restocked and went back to France. Then in 1527 he landed in Brazil to pick up a shipment. And in 1528 Verrazzano and three other ships went off the coast of Florida to the Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe. 

November 22, 1643

When He Died: 

March 19, 1687

Where Was He Born: 

Rouen, France 

What Country He Explore For: 

Robert la Salle started exploring for France at the ripe young age of 22.

What Years Did He Explore: 

1673-1687

What Was His Purpose For His Explorations: 

Has was sent by the King to explore and establish fur-trading routes south of Canada along the Mississippi River and all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. 

What He Discovered: 

He became the first European to sail the length of the Mississippi River. He is most well known for discovering and exploring the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and  Lake Ontario) and being able to reach the Gulf of Mexico.

Interesting Facts: 

1.) After getting stranded and shipwrecked on the Gulf of Mexico, Robert lead a small team to try and locate the Mississippi River to find their intended route but after a failed first attempt he was attacked by a mutiny of his own starving men. They killed him and left his body for the animals.

2.) Because of his family religion, he attended school to become a Jesuit priest but later eventually his call to adventure is too strong and he left school to become an explorer.

3.) Robert la Salle’s full name is Rene-Robert Cavelier Sieur de la Salle which means ‘knight’.

·         When was he born? When did he die?

Born: June 1,1637 Died: May 18, 1675             

·         Where was he born?

He was born in Laon, France.

·         What country did he explore for?

He explored for France. 

·         What year(s) did he explore? 

1668-1675

·         What was the purpose for sailing (exploring)?

Marquette and his friend, Louis Joliet were chosen to lead an expedition to find the direction of the flow of the river and mouth of the Mississippi River while also having to map the river and explore the land around it. Marquette was a missionary, so another goal he had was to spread the word of God to people he met on the journey.

·         What did he discover? 

While exploring the river, they learned that the river flowed through hostile Spanish territories. After leaving the Mississippi area, Marquette went and stayed near modern day Chicago and were the first Europeans to live there.

·         Interesting facts that you learn about the explorer? (3)

1) Marquette is very much recognized in towns, parks and geographical locations for his accomplishments. There is school named after him- Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

2) He learned to speak 6 Native American dialects.

3) He discovered a water route from the Great Lakes to The Gulf of Mexico.