Explorers Study Guide

Leif Erikson

  • Did not have a sponsor
  • His father was Erik the Red
  • Erik the Red and was kicked out of Iceland before moving to Greenland
  • Leif Erikson accidentally discovered North America when he got lost
  • Landed in what is present day Newfoundland, but he named it Vinland because of all the wild grapes

Christopher Columbus –

  • Sailed under the sponsorship of Spain
  • Was born in Italy
  • Made 4 voyages to the new world
  • Had 3 ships on his first voyage in 1492 – the Pinta, the Nina and the Santa Maria
  • Is credited for exploring San Salvador in the Bahamas
  • Searching for a shorter route to the Indies

Juan Ponce de Leon –

  • Sailed under the sponsorship of Spain
  • Sailed to the Bahamas on one of Columbus’ ships
  • Was searching for the Fountain of Youth, land,and gold
  • Claimed land at St. Augustine for Spain

Jacques Cartier –

  • Sailed under the sponsorship of France
  • Was searching for the Northwest Passage – a northern route to the East Indies
  • Explored the area on the St. Lawrence River from Newfoundland to Montreal in Canada
  • Gave France claim to land in Quebec, Canada

Christopher Newport –

  • Sailed under the sponsorship of England
  • Was searching for land in the New World
  • Explored the area of the James River and claimed land in Jamestown, VA
  • Delivered a group of settlers to Jamestown
  • Sailed on 3 ships – Godspeed, Discovery and Susan Constant

Jamestown –

  • Was settled by colonists from England in 1608
  • 100 men were brought to start the settlement
  • John Smith was the leader
  • Chief Powhatan and his daughter Pocahontas helped the settlers survive

Plymouth –

  • Settled by the Pilgrims from England in 1620
  • 100 men, women and children
  • Were searching for religious freedom
  • Sailed on the Mayflower
  • Set up the first form of government called the Mayflower Compact – which all 41 men signed
  • The Native Americans helped them survive the first winter
  • Celebrated the first Thanksgiving after their first harvest

Impact of Exploration

  • Europeans brought new diseases that wiped out many of the Natives.
  • Europeans claimed land that the Natives lived on and forced the Natives to relocate.

Be able to:

  • Identify who sponsored each explorer, where they explored, and what they were looking for
  • Explain the impact of European exploration on the natives
  • Compare and contrast Jamestown and Plymouth