Famous Explorers

Christopher ColumbusJohn CabotJuan Ponce de LeonJacques CartierChristopher NewportSamuel de Champlain Time

SponsorsMotivationObstaclesSuccesses

By Mrs. Ney’s Grade 3 Class

Discovery Timeline

1450 162515251500 1600

1492: Christopher Columbus

1497: John Cabot

1513:Juan Ponce de Leon

1534:Jacques Cartier

1607:Christopher Newport

1608:Samuel de Champlain

Christopher Columbus

Time

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus discovered America on October 12, 1492. Christopher had three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. A sailor on the Pinta found the land first. He wanted to go to India, but he landed on an island off America.

Sponsors

Christopher Columbus

The sponsors were King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. They gave him three ships. They also gave him the sailors for the trip.

Motivation

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus wanted to go to India to get gold, silk, and spices. He didn’t reach India. He found a new world, not gold, spices, and silk.

Obstacles

Christopher Columbus

He had to travel over land. Several of his men were killed. He had to travel over high seas. There were bad winds at sea.

Successes

Christopher Columbus

He discovered a new world. He found corn, tomatoes, squash, tobacco, and potatoes. This is important, because he brought back these crops to the Old World.

John Cabot

Time

John Cabot

John Cabot was born in Genoa, Italy, 1450. He sailed the ship, the Matthew, northwest in 1496.There was bad weather, so he turned back. When John Cabot came back to England August, 1497,John Cabot was called the Great Admiral.

Sponsors

John Cabot

John Cabot asked King John II of Portugal. Then he asked King Ferdinand of Spain for the money to sail.Then John Cabot asked King Henry VII of England to let him sail. Finally, King Henry VII of England let him sail.

Motivation

John Cabot

John Cabot wanted spices from India. The spices John Cabot wanted were ginger, pepper, cloves, and cinnamon. He also wanted to find jewels.He didn’t find any of those things in the New World.

Obstacles

John Cabot

When John Cabot was sailing the Matthew, he ran into very badstorms, icy seas, and bad wind. John Cabot had eighteen sailors aboard.

Successes

John Cabot

John Cabot found a fishing place called the Grand Banks. John Cabot also found Newfoundland for England. When John Cabot came back from England, he was called the Great Admiral.

Juan Ponce de Leon

Time

Juan Ponce de Leon

In 1508, Ponce de Leon heard that there was gold on an island on the east coast of North America. He set sail on March 3, 1513. He found the land on April 2, 1513.

Sponsors

Juan Ponce de Leon

King Ferdinand of Spain let him sail with three ships.

Motivation

Juan Ponce de Leon

He searched for gold, jewels, and the fountain of youth. He never found what he was looking for in America.

Obstacles

Juan Ponce de Leon

There were bad storms. They were attacked by hostile Indians called the Seminoles.

Successes

Juan Ponce de Leon

He found Florida on April 2, 1513. When they first saw it, he thought it was a large island. It was really a peninsula. In Florida, he built a settlement at St. Augustines.

Jacques Cartier

Time

Jacques Cartier

Cartier made his expedition to find a Northwest Passage way through North America in 1534. He was born in St. Malo, France around 1491.

Sponsors

Jacques Cartier

Jacques Cartier was sponsored by King Francis I of France.

Motivation

Jacques Cartier

Cartier was looking for jewels such as metal, and gold. He was also looking for the Northwest Passage, a waterway to the Indies.

Obstacles

Jacques Cartier

Cartier was bothered with icy waters, Indian attacks, and bad weather.

Successes

Jacques Cartier

His successes were following the St. Lawrence River and building a fort at Mount Real - today known as Montreal. He passed Newfoundland and saw the Grand Banks that were discovered earlier by John Cabot.

Christopher Newport

Time

Christopher Newport

In 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia Captain Newport found land. He was born in London, England. He sailed under the English flag.

Sponsors

Christopher Newport

King James I of England let him sail. He gave Newport the ship called the Golden Dragon and three other ships.

Christopher Newport

King James I wanted Christopher Newport wanted to take settlers to the New World where they could builda settlement.

Motivation

Christopher Newport

There were bad storms. There were also horrible diseases. Captain Newport traveled four times to Jamestown before an English settlement was finally established there.

Obstacles

Christopher Newport

Newport brought people to the first permanent English settlement in America - Jamestown, Virginia. He found Jamestown, the James River, and a locked box.

Successes

Samuel de Champlain

Time

Samuel de Champlain

In 1607, Champlain set sail for France, and found land in 1608.

Sponsors

Samuel de Champlain

His sponsor was King Henry IV, the King of France.

Motivation

Samuel de Champlain

He wanted to find gold and the Northwest Passageway that other explorers had searched for in North America.

Obstacles

Samuel de Champlain

His obstacles were Iroquois Indians and bad seas.

Successes

Samuel de Champlain

He found a lake that no European saw before and named it LakeChamplain after himself.