s ec t i o n
Emerging Europe
GeoActivity
ClassDate
Europe Geography & History SEC TION 3.1
Name
Use with Europe Geography & History, Section 3.1, in your textbook.
Go to Interactive Whiteboard GeoActivities at
myNGconnect.com to complete this activity online.
3 .1 E x p l o r at i o n a nd C o l o n i z at i o n
Compare European Explorers
Read the descriptions below to learn more about European explorers. Then
complete the chart to summarize information about each one.
John Cabot (1450–1499), an Italian navigator and explorer,
was sponsored by King Henry VII of England to search for new
lands. Cabot’s voyages in 1497 and in 1498 helped establish
British claims in Canada.
Jacques Cartier (1491–1557), a French navigator
and explorer, explored the Canadian coast and
St. Lawrence River between 1534 and 1542. His
travels there served as the basis for French claims
in North America.
1. Create Charts Use the information you learned about explorers to
complete the chart.
E x p lo r e r
Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475–1519), a Spanish conquistador,
is known as the first European to see the eastern shore of the
Pacific Ocean in 1513. Balboa claimed the Pacific Ocean and
its shores for Spain.
Pedro Álvares Cabral (1467/68–1520), a Portuguese navigator
and explorer, is generally credited with discovering Brazil for
Portugal. In 1500, King Manuel of Portugal selected Cabral
to follow the route taken earlier by Vasco da Gama and to
further his conquest.
Country
of
Origin
Country
F u n d i ng
Expedition
Re s u lt s /
Ac h i e v e m en t s
Cabot
Italy
England
Canadian claims
Balboa
Spain
Spain
Pacific/Shores Spai
Cabral
Portugal
Portugal
Brazilian colony
Vespucci
Italy
Spain + Portugal
South America
Cartier
France
France
Can. Coast, N. Ame
2.Summarize England, Spain, France, and Portugal sponsored the
trips of these explorers. What was it that these countries wanted to
gain as a result of the explorations?
New lands and claimed colonies, power, spread ideas, more land, trade
045-060_GA00000_U05C09S3.indd 1
3.Make Inferences What personal characteristics and abilities would
an explorer need to have during this period?
navigation background, patience
4.Synthesize What did all of the expeditions have in common?
sponsorship; traveling to unknown lands; high costs; traveled via boat;
© NGSP & HB
Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512), an Italian explorer, navigator,
and mapmaker, is the explorer after which the Americas
were named. Vespucci took part in at least two voyages
to South America, one for Spain (1499) and the other for
Portugal (1501).
4/21/11 2:25 PM