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New World Explorers were men and women of great courage. Using the
information you have discovered, answer the following questions.
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1) 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). Queen Elizabeth I comissioned Drake to command the
expedition together with John Winter and Thomas Doughty. They left
Plymouth, England, on December 13, 1577, with six ships (including
the Golden Hind). They sailed to Brazil, and through the perilous
Strait of Magellan (between August 20 and September 6, 1578). At
Tierra del Fuego (located at the southern tip of South America),
natives gave Drake and his crew food and water. They sailed by
Panama (1579), where he pirated Spanish ships and settlements for
food and treasures. He landed on the island of Cano, off the coast
of southern Mexico. In North America, he claimed the land he
called "Nova Albion" for the Queen (his exact location was kept
secret, but he may have sailed as far north as northern California
or even Vancouver Island, Canada). They then crossed the Pacific
Ocean and sailed by Indonesia, through the Indian Ocean, past the
Cape of Good Hope, and back to Plymouth, England, in 1580. Upon his
return, the Queen rewarded Drake with a large sum of money
(�10,000).
Drake was also involved in the slave trade and was a fierce warrior
and privateer. Drake and John Hawkins were on a slave-trading trip
to the West Indies (backed by Queen Elizabeth) that ended with an
attack by the Spanish fleet at San Juan de Ulua, near Veracruz,
Mexico. The six English slave-trading ships were in the harbor for
repairs, and only two ships survived the attack, those commanded by
Hawkins and Drake; the Spanish did not want the English competing in
their highly profitable slave-trading business. This battle led to a
series of battles that later resulted in a war between Spain and
England. In this war, England crushed the Spanish Armada in 1588 and
became the dominant world power. Drake helped the British defeat the
Spanish Armada; he was second in command. The Spanish called him El
Draque, meaning "The Dragon."
Drake died of fever at sea near Panama; he was on a voyage intending
to attack Spanish colonies in the West Indies.
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2) John Cabot (about 1450-1499) was an Italian-born English explorer
and navigator. In Italy, he is known as Giovanni Caboto (which is
his original name).
Cabot was born in Italy but moved to England in 1495. At the request
of King Henry VII of England, Cabot sailed to Canada in 1497,
commanding the small ship called "Matthew." Cabot landed near
Labrador, Newfoundland, or Cape Breton Island (the exact spot is
uncertain) on June 24, 1497. One of John Cabot's three sons, the
explorer Sebastian Cabot, accompanied him on this trip. Cabot
claimed the land for England.
Cabot explored the Canadian coastline and named many of its islands
and capes. The mission's purpose was to search for a Northwest
passage across North America to Asia (a seaway to Asia). Cabot was
unsuccessful, although he thought that he had reached northeastern
Asia.
Cabot undertook a second, larger expedition in 1498. On this trip,
Cabot may have reached America, but that is uncertain. Cabot's
expeditions were the first of Britain's claims to Canada.
John Cabot died in England in 1499.
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3) If it had not been for the "New World Explorers", we would still be
living in Europe, Africa, or Asia.
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4) Every time an explorer set out on a journey, he discovered exactly
what he was looking for.
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5) European explorers were the only people exploring the New World.
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6) Prince Henry, the Navigator was from Portugul. He established a
Navigation school and trained many of the great explorers and
mariners of his time. Interestingly, he never explorered anything
himself.
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7) 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.
Coronado was a governor of New Galicia, a western province of
Mexico. He searched fruitlessly for treasure that was rumored to
exist in northern Mexico: the fabled seven Golden Cities of Cibola.
With a group of hundreds of Spaniards and enslaved natives, he
traveled through what is now northern Mexico and the southwestern
USA (including Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas).
His expedition found only Zu�i, Hopi, and Pueblos, native Americans
who repelled Coronado when he demanded that they convert to
Christianity. Coronado killed many native Americans during this
expedition. Since he did not find gold, silver, or other treasures,
his expedition was branded a failure by Spanish leaders.
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8) 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.
Pizarro landed at San Mateo Bay in 1532. After traveling through
desert and snow-capped mountains, Pizarro and his men (who included
Hernando de Soto) arrived at Cajamarca (in 1533), where they
captured Atahuallpa, the 13th and last emperor of the Incas.
Atahuallpa had just won a civil war against his half-brother
(Hu�scar), and had executed Hu�scar and his family. Atahuallpa had
invited Pizarro to a celebratory feast, thinking that the Spanish
were not much of a threat. Pizarro ambushed Atahuallpa and killed
thousands of his men. Atahuallpa offered a huge ransom for his own
release, but Pizarro took the treasure and had Atahuallpa strangled
on Aug. 29, 1533; this was the end of the Incan empire.
After looting and generally destroying the Incan capital of Cusco,
Pizarro founded Lima (which he called Ciudad de los Reyes, which
means "City of the Kings"). Pizarro was assassinated in Lima, Peru,
in 1541, by followers of Pedro de Almagro (Cortes' captain) who
wanted to seize Lima for its riches.
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9) Vasco Nunez de Balboa (1475-1519) was a Spanish conquistador and
explorer who was the first European to see the eastern part of the
Pacific Ocean (in 1513), crossing the Isthmus of Panama.
In 1500, Balboa sailed with Rodrigo de Bastidas from Spain to
Colombia, South America. They searched for treasures (pearls and
gold) along the northern coast of South America and in the Gulf of
Uraba (near San Sebastian). They were forced to abandon their leaky
ship in Hispaniola. The penniless Balboa tried, unsuccessfully, to
farm for a living.
In 1510, Balboa and his dog Leoncico stowed away on a boat going
from Santo Domingo to San Sebastian. When they arrived at San
Sebastian, they discovered that it had been burned to the ground.
Balboa convinced the others to travel southwest with him to a spot
he had seen on his earlier expedition. In 1511, Balboa founded a
colony, the first European settlement in South America - the town of
Santa Maria de la Antigua del Darien.
Balboa married the daughter of Careta, the local Indian chief. Soon
after, in 1513, he sailed with hundreds of Spaniards and Indians
across the Gulf of Uraba to the Darien Peninsula.
Balboa headed an overland expedition west through very dense
rainforests. Along the way they fought many local Indians and
destroyed one Indian village, killing hundreds of Indians. Balboa
(accompanied by his dog) was the first European to see the eastern
part of the Pacific Ocean (in September 1513, from a peak in Dari�n,
Panama). Balboa and his men (including Francisco Pizarro) then
traveled to the ocean and claimed it and all the land that touched
it for Spain. They spent about a month conquering Natives along the
Pacific coast and stealing their gold.
Balboa was charged with treason against Spain (although he was
innocent and had been framed by a friend, Arias de Avila). Francisco
Pizarro arrested Balboa. Balboa was found guilty and was publicly
beheaded in Acla in January, 1519.
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10) Explain how the New World Explorers impacted our lives today. (Use
the writing template for your essay.)
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