Exploration and Colonization

A water route from the Atlantic to the Pacific through northern Canada and along the northern coast of Alaska. Sought by navigators since the 16th century.

The exchange of diseases, plants, animals, and humans between the Old World and the New World.

A tool used in navigation to help explorers and sailors figure out where they were. They found their the distance north and south of the equator by measuring the distance of the sun and stars above the horizon.

Chinese invention that aided navigation by showing which direction was north.

A small, easily steerable ship used by the Portuguese and Spanish in their explorations

An economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought

Italian explorer who landed in the West Indies claimed the land for Spain and is credited for discovering America

English explorer who claimed Newfoundland for England while looking for Northwest Passage

Spanish Explorer who discovered and named Florida while searching for the "Fountain of Youth"

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico for Spain (1485-1547)

French explorer who explored the St. Lawrence river looking for the Northwest Passage and laid claim to the region for France (1491-1557)

Spanish explorer who heard stories about the Seven Cities of Gold called Cibola and set out to find it. He is the first to explore the southwestern part of North America.

Discovered what today is known as the Hudson River. Sailed for the Dutch even though he was originally from England. He was looking for a northwest passage through North America.

Frenchman who followed the Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, claiming the region for France and naming it Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV

phrase used to describe the general reasons that motivated Europeans during the Age of Exploration