Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. During Columbus’ lifetime the Muslims charged Christians high taxes to travel through their land to get to Asia. Also, the Silk Road was a dangerous trade route. Christopher Columbus thought that the world was round. He believed that he could sail west to reach Asia. If it worked, the Europeans wouldn’t have to pay the taxes to the Muslims. So, it would be cheaper, and faster, too.

In 1492, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain agreed to pay for Columbus’ trip. Columbus took three ships and ended up exploring the West Indies, which is a group of islands in the Americas. But, he thought that he had reached the East Indies (the islands of Indonesia), so he called the natives Indians. Nobody knew that there were other continents on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. He went back to Spain and told everyone that he had found a successful route to the East Indies. Columbus was a hero.

Later, Columbus made three more trips to the Americas. He became ruler of the West Indies, but he treated people badly, and the job was given to someone else. However, although he wasn’t a good ruler, Columbus was still important. He started the Columbian Exchange, which is the exchange of trade, plants, animals, diseases, and technology between Europe and the Americas. Without Columbus, maybe Europe wouldn’t have corn, turkeys, or pineapples, and the Americas wouldn’t have wheat and rice.

Also, Columbus traveled to the Americas on the “Atlantic Canary Current,” which ships still use to travel today. His explorations were notable. Columbus died in 1506.

Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama was born in Portugal, in 1460. His father was an explorer. Da Gama learned how to sail in the Portuguese navy. In his lifetime, King Manual of Portugal wanted someone to find a direct route to India, so that his country could become wealthier. The Portuguese wanted Indian spices, but the trip to India over land was long and dangerous.

Da Gama left in 1497 – with 4 ships and 170 men – to find an ocean route to India. Some people thought that his trip would fail, because they thought that the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean did not connect to each other. He sailed down the coast of Africa and went around the Cape of Good Horn at the bottom of the continent. He arrived in Calicut, India in 1498.

The Muslim traders in Calicut tried to force da Gama out, because they did not want the Europeans to threaten their commercial interests. Da Gama went home after three months, but he later went back in 1502 and began to attack and kill the Muslims along the African coast. Because of his hard work the King of Portugal made da Gama his representative in India. Da Gama died in 1524, shortly after he was given the position.

Vasco da Gama was the first European to travel around Africa to get to India. He became a hero. His efforts helped to end Muslim control over the Indian Ocean trade. As a result, Portugal was able to trade in India and its economy grew. Other European countries soon began to use da Gama’s trade route, too.

Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan was born in Portugal in 1480. He sailed with other explorers when he was young, and went to Malaysia. He also traveled to India by going around Africa, like da Gama had done before. In 1517, he left Portugal and went to Spain. He convinced Emperor Charles V of Spain to fund an expedition to find a route to Asia by sailing west. This is what Columbus had tried to do.

Magellan left Spain in 1520, with five ships and 270 men, and sailed south. During the voyage it became very cold, and food was scarce. Some of the men tried to stage a mutiny. Magellan arrested and executed the men. Magellan continue on and found the Strait of Magellan (which was named after him). This passageway was important, because it connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He named the Pacific Ocean “Pacifico,” which means peaceful.

Magellan crossed the oceans and landed in the Philippines. In the Philippines, Magellan got into an argument with a local chief. He was killed along with 40 of his men in 1521. Juan Sebastian del Cano took over the expedition and arrived back in Spain in 1522 with only 18 men.

Although Magellan did not finish the journey, it was his plan that allowed the remainder of his crew to circumnavigate the globe. This circumnavigation proved that the Earth was round, not flat, as some people still believed at the time. The information that the crew collected on the journey also led to the knowledge that there were different time zones around the world. The explorers also brought back some animals that no one in Spain had seen before.

Francis Drake

Francis Drake was born in England around 1540. He grew up near the sea, and began working on ships when he was young. One of Drake’s first explorations was to Africa, where he captured Africans and sold them to the Spanish as slaves. The Spanish attacked his ship while he was in port, and he always hated them afterwards.

Drake became a privateer. He was like a pirate, but he had the support of the British Queen. He would attack the Spanish ships and steal their goods. Queen Elizabeth I eventually gave him some ships and sent him to South America to steal more gold from the Spanish. He left England in 1577 with five ships. Many of his sailors died from disease and some tried to mutiny against him, but they did not succeed. Drake and his ships sailed through the Strait of Magellan and went north along the coast of Peru. Drake returned to England very rich in 1580.

In 1588, Drake had the idea to attack the Spanish Armada with “fire ships,” when the Spanish tried to attack England. This led to England having the most powerful navy in the world. The Spanish called him “The Dragon” and the King of Spain offered $7 million to anyone who could kill Drake. However, Drake survived their attacks and died of dysentery while he was on his way to the Americas in 1596.

Drake was a hero because he led the second expedition to circumnavigate the globe. As well, he was a naval hero for helping to defeat the Spanish Armada. Finally, he was loved by the Queen, because he brought back many treasures for her.

Jacques Cartier

Jacques Cartier was born in 1491 in France. He went on explorations with Giovanni da Verrazano to the east coast of Canada when he was young.

In 1534 the King Francis I of France asked Cartier to find the Northwest Passage that would let ships sail through North America to get to the Indies in Asia. He also hoped that Cartier would find gold and spices on the way to the Indies. John Cabot had tried to find this passage earlier, but he had not been successful. Cartier sailed down the St. Lawrence River in Canada. He thought that he had successfully arrived in Asia. He went home in the same year and was considered to be a hero.

In 1535, Cartier traveled overseas again, this time with 112 men. He traveled further down the St. Lawrence River, but eventually had to stop, because the river was too rocky and dangerous for his ships. Many of the sailors died from scurvy and the cold winter. However, Cartier returned to France in 1536.