Explorers

Question 1

Richard E(veleyn) Byrd

Answer 1

1888-1957 American naval officer from VA - Pioneering aviator - First to fly to North Pole (1926-disputed), y South Pole (1929) - Received Medal of Honor

Question 2

Giovanni da Verrazzano

Answer 2

1485-1528 Italian in service of France - 1st to explore Atlantic coast of N America, including NY Harbor - Killed and eaten by cannibals in Caribbean

Question 3

Roald Amundsen

Answer 3

1872-1928 Norwegian - 1st to reach South Pole 1911 - 1st undisputed to reach North Pole 1926 - 1st to traverse the NW Passage 1906 - Disappeared in 1928 during a rescue mission

Question 4

Jacques Cartier

Answer 4

1491-1557 French - Claimed Canada for France - 1st to explore St Lawrence River area, Newfoundland, etc.

Question 5

Vasco da Gama

Answer 5

1460-1524 Portuguese - 1st European to reach India by sea in 1498

Question 6

John Cabot

Answer 6

1450-1498 Italian in service of Henry VII of England - 1st European since Vikings to explore mainland of North America - Landed briefly in Newfoundland in 1497 - Disappeared on 3rd voyage

Question 7

Stephen F(uller) Austin

Answer 7

1793-1836 American empresario (settler leader) y entrepreneur from VA - Known as “The Father of Texas”, y the founder of Texas - Led the successful colonization of the Texas region in 1825 - Advocated conciliation with the Mexican government, but settler dissent against Mexico escalated into the Texas Revolution (1835-36) - Served as Secretary of State for Republic of Texas in 1836

Question 8

Samuel de Champlain

Answer 8

1574-1635 French - The Father of New France - Explored and governed New France - Founded Quebec City

Question 9

Francis Drake

Answer 9

1540-1596 English captain y privateer - “Draco” - 2nd to circumnavigate globe on the Golden Hind, visited CA - Knighted by Elizabeth I, lead fight against Spanish Armada - Raided Spanish in Caribbean - Rescued some Roanoke settlers

Question 10

Walter Raleigh

Answer 10

1552-1618-English courtier y explorer - Introduced tobacco y potatoes - Founded Roanoke colony - Owned much Irish land - Spent much prison time in Tower of London - Fought for the Huegonots - Searched for El Dorado - Beheaded for attacking Spanish towns

Question 11

Alexander von Humboldt

Answer 11

1769-1859 Prussian geographer - Founded biogeography - Wrote Kosmos (1845) - Explored Latin America - Namesake of Humboldt Current (W coast of S America), and Humboldt River (longest in NV)

Question 12

Henry the Navigator

Answer 12

1394-1460 Portuguese prince - Responsible for the exploration of Western Africa, the islands of the Atlantic Ocean, and the search for new routes - Main initiator of The Age of Discoveries

Question 13

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle

Answer 13

1643-1687 French explorer - Explored Great Lakes region y Mississippi River - Named Louisiana for King Louis XIV - Killed in a mutiny in modern Texas, after a failed attempt to start a settlement at the mouth of the Mississippi

Question 14

Kit Carson

Answer 14

1809-68 American frontiersman - Joined early expeditions to CA y Rocky Mtns - Led John Fremont’s expedition thru Great Basin for Oregon Trail - Scout y courier during Mexican War - Commanded a Union regiment in NM during Civil War

Question 15

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado

Answer 15

1510-54 Spanish conquistador y explorer - Led a large expedition from Mexico to present-day Kansas through the SW USA, searching for the Cities of Cíbola (7 Cities of Gold) - Discovered Grand Canyon y Colorado River - Traveled with Estebanico the Moor until his disappearance

Question 16

Vitus Bering

Answer 16

1681-1741 Danish explorer in service of Peter the Great of Russia - Led the 1st Kamchatka Expedition in 1724 to explore the NE Asian coast - Led the Great Northern Expedition in 1741 to explore Alaskan coast y died of scurvy on the return voyage - Namesake of Bering Strait, Land Bridge, Island, etc.

Question 17

Louis Jolliet

Answer 17

1645-1700 French explorer from Quebec City - Traveled with Catholic priest y missionary Jacques Marquette in 1643 as 1st Europeans to explore y map the Mississippi River - Later named Royal Hydrographer y awarded much land - Disappeared en route to Anticosti Island

Question 18

Henry Hudson

Answer 18

1565-1611 English explorer - Searched for NW Passage above the Arctic Circle in hopes of a route to Cathay (China) - Explored the area around NYC, incl the Hudson River - Discovered Hudson Bay on final voyage, where his crew mutinied, and set him adrift with his son, never to be seen again

Question 19

Juan Ponce de León

Answer 19

1474-1521 Spanish explorer y conquistador - Led the first known European expedition to La Florida, which he named (1513) - Popular myth says he was searching for the Fountain of Youth, but no contemporary evidence of this - 1st Governor of Puerto Rico (1508-1519)

Question 20

Hiram Bingham III

Answer 20

1875-1956 American explorer y politician from HI - Made public the existence of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in 1911, with the guidance of local indigenous farmers, while on the Yale Peruvian Expedition; not necessarily the 1st to find it - Served as US Senator from CT (1924-33); Served as Governor of CT for 1 day before taking Senate seat

Question 21

Zebulon Pike

Answer 21

1779-1813 American explorer from NJ - Led two expeditions for Thomas Jefferson between 1805-07 to explore the Louisiana Purchase - Crossed the Rocky Mtns in CO, then captured by the Spanish - Published a very popular account of his travels - Served as brigadier general in War of 1812, y was killed in action at the Battle of York