Exploration History

Hernando de Soto (born around 1496 in Extremadura, Spain; died 1542 in the Mississippi River) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador whose expedition (1539–1542) became the f...

The question who sponsored Magellan’s voyage points to a coalition led by the Crown of Castile, acting on behalf of Spain, combined with private merchant investors seeking a w...

Robert de La Salle was primarily sponsored by the French Crown under King Louis XIV, through explicit royal grants, military and colonial objectives, and supplementary backing f...

Prince Henry the Navigator represents a foundational figure in the history of Atlantic exploration, best known for systematically organizing maritime expeditions along the coast...

Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512) was an Italian explorer, financier, and navigator whose voyages to the New World between about 1499 and 1504 shaped European understanding of the...

Bartolomeu Dias was a Portuguese explorer whose name is closely associated with one of the most important turning points in the age of maritime discovery: the rounding of the Ca...

Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator active in the early 17th century whose voyages sought a northwest passage to Asia and examined North Atlantic waters. His...