Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization
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Christopher Columbus
Explorer and Colonizer of the New World
by Henrietta Toth
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
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, and their lasting impact on today's world.
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Bartolomeu Dias
First European Sailor to Reach the Indian Ocean
by Jennifer Swanson
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
The late fifteenth century was alive with dreams of world exploration. As the first Portuguese adventurer to sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean, Bartolomeu Dias was one of the most important. His voyage around the tip of Africa, past the Cape of Good Hope, paved the way for future explorers such as Vasco da Gama and Columbus. Follow along with Bartolomeu as he battles huge storms, rough seas, dwindling supplies, and even a near mutiny on a historic trip that resulted in opening seagoing trade routes for all of Europe and Asia.
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Ibn Battuta
The Greatest Traveler of the Muslim World
by Henrietta Toth
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
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 he met, the foods he ate, the dangers he faced, plus his viewpoints on family, religion, and slavery. Learn how the legacy of this medieval traveler still resonates today.
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Vasco Núñez de Balboa
First European to Reach the Pacific Ocean from the New World
by Ryan Nagelhout
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
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 execution for usurping power. An assessment of Balboa's legacy and lasting impact conclude the book.
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Ferdinand Magellan
First Circumnavigator Of The Earth
by Susan Meyer
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
Although Magellan led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, he perished before the trip was completed. Readers will learn about the challenges that his expedition faced on its long, arduous journey, as well as how this Portuguese explorer ended up leading a Spanish expedition in the first place. Other highlights include his travels as a young man, the discovery of the strait now named after him, and his partnership with astronomer Rui Falerio. This engrossing account of Magellan's life and fateful last voyage concludes with a consideration of Magellan's legacy.
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Giovanni da Verrazzano
Explorer of the Atlantic Coast of North America
by Marty Gitlin
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
The well-educated son of an Italian family, Verrazzano settled in Dieppe, France, as a young man. This explains why his historic explorations of the coast of eastern North America were undertaken in the name of the French king. During his 1524 journey, Verrazzano recorded a detailed account of the places he visited, one that would prove a key source of information about North America. Readers will also learn about Verrazzano's later journey to Brazil and his final journey, in 1528, which ended tragically when he was killed and eaten by cannibals in the Caribbean.
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Francisco Vázquez de Coronado
First European to Reach the Grand Canyon
by Xina M. Uhl
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
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 of gold. Although he was unsuccessful in some aspects of his quests, this enlightening book will highlight his journey and discoveries.
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John Cabot
Explorer of the North American Mainland
by Keisha Hatchett
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
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, his eventual voyages, his mysterious fate, and his contributions to the Age of Exploration.
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Juan Ponce de León
First Explorer of Florida and First Governor of Puerto Rico
by Heather Moore Niver
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
While he is now primarily associated with the quest for the legendary Fountain of Youth, Ponce de León was not merely involved in this fruitless search. A powerful figure in the Caribbean, he became the first governor of Puerto Rico. He led the first European expedition to Florida and was responsible for giving the state its name. The title discusses Ponce de León's treatment of Native Americans and the issues with crediting him with the "discovery" of Florida despite the Native Americans already living there and the possibility of earlier visits by Spanish slave-taking expeditions.
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Pedro Álvares Cabral
First European Explorer of Brazil
by Ann Byers
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
Pedro Álvares Cabral sailed around the world for Portugal in the early sixteenth century. His efforts led to a treaty opening the spice trade with India, but also years of war between his men and the kingdom of Calicut. Along the way he also discovered Brazil, perhaps by accident, opening the door for centuries of Portuguese colonization there. This biography dives into Cabral's background, his exploration assignments, and the impact-both positive and negative-of his voyages to India and Brazil.
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Henry Hudson
Explorer of the Hudson River and Bay
by Henrietta Toth
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
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 endured the worst fear of all sea captains-mutiny-to become one of the world's most famous explorers.
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Hernando de Soto
First European to Cross the Mississippi
by Robert Z. Cohen
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
In the 1500s, Hernando de Soto traveled throughout Central America and Peru, as well as the southeastern areas of the United States, in search of treasures and land for Spain. Although he may have had Spain's best interests at heart, de Soto and his expedition left a deadly trail of disease in their wake. De Soto would never find the rumored riches he sought. But he did discover the Mississippi River. Labeled the brashest of all conquistadors by the time he was only thirty-six years old, readers will relish the adventures of the Spanish-born explorer on his quests.
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Marco Polo
Epic Traveler Throughout Asia
by Samuel Willard Crompton
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
For many, his name brings to mind both the glory and terrible danger of exploration: Marco Polo. Come along as this informative and engaging book describes Marco's travels from his native Italy past many obstacles, to the farthest reaches of Asia and back home again. Experience the incredible cold of the mountains of Pakistan, the intense heat of the Taklimakan Desert, and the wonders in between. Meet people like the fabled Kublai Khan, lord of the Mongol Empire. At journey's end, readers will understand why Marco Polo takes his place among the most important explorers in world history.
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Sir Francis Drake
Privateering Sea Captain and Circumnavigator of the Globe
by Barbara Krasner
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
Explorer Sir Francis Drake is renowned for being the first Englishman to sail completely around the world. His adventures set England on a course for successfully sailing the seas, but like most explorers, his adventures were full of successes and failures alike. In this engrossing book, readers will become completely captivated by the secrecy and intrigue associated with Drake's agreements with England's Queen Elizabeth. The drama of his defeat of King Philip's daunting Armada in the "Enterprise of England" attack will keep every reader turning pages to learn more about this fascinating foray.
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Francisco Pizarro
Conqueror of the Inca Empire
by Daniel Toledo
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
This ruthless conquistador who toppled the Inca Empire came from humble origins. The illegitimate son of a soldier, Pizarro made his way to the New World to make his fortune. He took part in expeditions led by Alonso de Ojeda and Vasco Núñez de Balboa, before partnering up with Diego de Almagro and Hernando de Luque to lead an expedition of his own. The story of Pizarro's strategically brilliant, if ethically problematic, conquest of the Inca will draw readers in, as will the tale of how infighting among Pizarro's followers and those of Almagro led to Pizarro's death.
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Amerigo Vespucci
Explorer of South America and the West Indies
by Heather Moore Niver
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
Amerigo Vespucci, the presumed namesake of the continents of North America and South America, is a controversial figure in the history of European exploration. The number of voyages he took to the New World is in dispute, but among his accomplishments, he found a rough method of calculating longitude, made notes on the indigenous peoples he encountered, and published theories proving that Columbus had not landed in India. This volume separates the fact from fiction, the man from the myth, and sets about to responsibly examine the remaining open questions at the heart of this history of New World exploration.
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James Cook
European Explorer of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands
by Susan Meyer
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
In the 18th century the explorer and mariner James Cook made his way to the American colonies to fight for the British in the French and Indian War. In the New World he would earn fame as a courageous sea captain, talented mapmaker, astronomer of Venus, and seeker of the Northwest Passage. This fascinating account details his voyage around Antarctica and his accomplishment as the first accurate mapmaker of the Pacific Ocean. This guide will introduce readers to the legacy of one of the most talented men in the history of exploration.
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Zheng He
China's Greatest Navigator
by Andrew Vietze
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
In 1405, the Chinese emperor sent the world's largest fleet of ships to explore the "Western Oceans." Zheng He was at the helm of the expedition, a man who rose from poverty to captain China's famous Treasure Fleet on an adventure covering more than thirty-five thousand miles. Little known in the West, Zheng He was one of history's most important explorers. This guide will take readers on a journey from Nanjing all the way to Africa and the Middle East as Zheng He brings Chinese technology to remote ports of call – and changes the face of the world in the process.
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Viking Explorers
First European Voyagers To North America
by Henrietta Toth
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
Though most often remembered as marauding barbarians, the Vikings were also traders, farmers, and skilled craftsmen. Their exploration beyond the shores of Europe began in the late 900s with the founding of settlements in Greenland and Newfoundland. Notable Viking adventurers such as Erik the Red, Leif the Lucky, and Thorfinn Karlsefni are profiled. Readers will also learn about the Vikings' weapons and armor, ships, religious beliefs, lifestyle, and the vast legacy they left behind in mythology, language, and shipbuilding.
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Lewis and Clark
Famed Explorers of the American Frontier
by Jennifer Swanson
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
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 untrod paths, and learn about the Native Americans they met, the fierce wildlife that threatened their lives, and the hunger, sickness, and injury that dogged them from start to finish.
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Jacques Cartier
Navigator Who Claimed Canada for France
by Corona Brezina
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
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 with Native Americans, and the many features for which he is named.
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Samuel de Champlain
Founder of New France and Quebec City
by Andrew Vietze
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
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 of New France.
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Vasco Da Gama
First European To Reach India By Sea
by Jennifer Landau
Part of the Spotlight On Explorers and Colonization series
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama was a bold and brutal adventurer who was the first European to find an all-sea route to India. Along the way, he made contact with local people in South Africa, Mozambique, and the Indian kingdom of Calicut. Though revered in his time for helping Portugal become a powerful force on the world stage, da Gama is also remembered as a controversial figure for his forceful and cruel behavior in Africa and India. This warts-and-all biography identifies da Gama's achievements while also offering an unsparing examination of the darker aspects of his life and legacy.
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