The true legacy of Christopher Columbus is much more complex than the familiar myth of him as the celebrated founder of the New World. On his voyages to islands in the Caribbean, he killed and enslaved many native people and was even arrested in Spain for his tyrannical governance of the lands he still believed to be the Indies. This resource takes a critical look at Columbus's actions, their implications for colonization and cross-cultural exchange,...

In a pattern anyone familiar with the European explorers of the 1500s will recognize, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado set out in search of land and treasure. Following in the footsteps of Hernán Cortés, Coronado set out for the New World in hopes of claiming land and wealth for Spain. Readers will get caught up in the fantastic and dangerous journeys of the Coronado expedition from Mexico to Kansas as they sought in vain for the mythical seven cities...

The river in New York State and the Canadian bay both bear Henry Hudson's name. During the 16th century, this English mariner sailed one important voyage after another. This guide covers his quest for the Northwest Passage, his time in the Arctic, his voyage down the East Coast of North America into present-day New York, and his exploration of Canada's Hudson Bay. Learn how he made contact with Native Americans, suffered from terrible disease, and...

In the summer of 1535, France's king Francis I sent explorer Jacques Cartier to the New World to search for the Northwest Passage that would lead from China and the East. It was hoped he would also return with ships brimming with riches and gold for the country. Alas, Cartier found neither the elusive passage nor a bounty of riches, but he did find the St. Lawrence River. Readers will learn about the details of Cartier's extensive travels, his encounters...

Italian explorer John Cabot sailed to the New World under the flag of England in 1496. His travels through Canada are sketchy due to his flimsy record log and his disappearance during his third voyage. Despite never finding the riches or the Northwest Passage he sought, Cabot's discoveries led the charge for the English colonization of North America. This resource examines Cabot's early life, his appeals to European monarchs to fund an expedition,...

When Thomas Jefferson negotiated the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, he needed a team to survey that vast, unknown expanse of land. He chose Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Together, they led the Corps of Discovery, a team of intrepid explorers across a wild, dangerous country. Readers will understand the impact Lewis and Clark's expedition had on American history in this detailed account. Follow their journey across roaring rivers, vast plains, and...

Samuel de Champlain was one of the most colorful explorers of the 16th century. A master mariner, he had other occupations, too: spy, soldier, diplomat, writer, and artist. His explorations in the New World, though, made him famous for the ages. This detailed, easy-to-read biography gives readers a look at a man who served as the Geographer to the French king, an expert on Native Americans, a skilled mapmaker, the founder of Quebec City, and the father...

The conquistador Balboa is best known for having led the first party of explorers of European descent to reach the Pacific by traveling overland from the Atlantic. An ambitious man from a noble but relatively impoverished family, Balboa was eager to make a name and fortune for himself in the New World. His initiative and take-charge attitude helped him rise to power but also made him powerful enemies who, in the long run, orchestrated his trial and...

In 1325, a young Muslim man named Ibn Battuta set out on a religious pilgrimage to Mecca. It would be nearly thirty years before he returned home. Ibn Battuta was a fourteenth-century pilgrim, traveler, scholar, and writer. He walked, sailed, and rode some seventy-five thousand miles across the medieval Muslim world, covering the equivalent of forty-four modern-day countries. This volume details the fascinating cultures Battuta experienced: the people...