Discovery And Exploration Of America

The arrival of Christopher Columbus in America, engraving of 1893.

The Discovery of America is the term commonly used to designate the landing on the current American continent (called the "New World") by a group of a hundred people commanded by Admiral Christopher Columbus during the night of 11 to 12 October 1492. Then they approach the island of Guanahani (now San Salvador , Caribbean ) with two caravels ( La Pinta and La Nina ) and a carrack , La Santa Mara. This moment marks the meeting of two companies which had almost . Some estimate the number of Indians living on the continent when the European invasion (or "Discovery of America") to 100 million .

Discovery of the Continent

The discovery by the Scandinavians

Location hypoththique American places mentioned in the sagas

Around the year 1000 in three sagas say, " The Vinland Sagas "{The Saga of the Greenlanders, the saga of Eric the Red and the Tale of the Greenlanders}, Leif Erikson sailed from Greenland to a land he calls Vinland. Long remained legendary in the state, the veracity of these stories was not confirmed until 1960 , during archaeological excavations at the Anse aux Meadows (northern tip of the island of Newfoundland ) but nothing proves that it is indeed the Vinland of Leif Erikson. Stormy relations with the natives are probably not unrelated to the evacuation of the village, a few decades later.

The sagas were given to American lands of northern names:

• Greenland (Greenland Green Earth =)
• Helluland (land of flat stones. It could be Baffin Island)
• Markland (Land of forests. We could see the Labrador)
• Vinland (Land of vineyards, exact location uncertain ^, ).

The discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1492

Columbus is the first transatlantic navigator whose travels are evidenced by both written (some autobiographical) that by many accounts of his contemporaries or material evidence ( Indians back to Europe and presented to the Court of Spain ). He made four voyages from Europe to America on behalf of the Catholic Monarchs : in 1492 , 1493 , 1498 and 1502.

The voyages of Christopher Columbus

During his first trip in 1492, Columbus thought he landed in " India ", opposed to the fabled riches described among others by the stories of Marco Polo. October 12, he landed on an island in the Bahamas called Guanahani (probably San Salvador , but whose exact location is still debated). October 28, he discovered Cuba. In November, he reached the island of Hispaniola.

During his second trip began in late 1493, he discovered The Desiderada ( Dsirade ), Maria Galanda ( Marie-Galante ) and the Dominica. He then discovered Karukera or Santa Maria de Guadalupe de Estremadura ( Basse-Terre of Guadeloupe ), Montserrat , St. Martin and St. Barthelemy. In April 1494, he arrived in Puerto Rico , then to Jamaica.

During the third trip, he landed on the continent at the current Venezuela and also visited: St. Vincent , Grenada , Trinidad , Margarita.

For his fourth and final voyage, Columbus sailed along the coast of Veragua and Panama.

Convinced he had reached the Far East , he died without knowing that he had "discovered" the American. Attributed to his companion Amerigo Vespucci having been the first European to mention the fact that the land that Columbus had discovered not Asia but in reality the New World.

From the European point of view, Columbus, navigator in the service of Spain , is the first to discover America. This statement is not neutral, since the discovery created a right of ownership recognized by the Pope and the King of Portugal in the Treaty of Tordesillas , signed June 7, 1494, establishing the division of the New World between the Spain and Portugal in line with the meridian located at 370 miles (1770 km) west of the islands of Cape Verde - now estimated at meridian 46 37 'west.

Commemorations Colombian discovery

The discovery of America is celebrated in Spain and in Hispanic countries on October 12 as the Day of the Hispanic or Race Day. The Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October in several American countries.

Prior contacts

Other hypotheses, based on archaeological data on ancient stories, generally considered unreliable, suggest that prior contact between Native Americans and people from other continents might have occurred.

A controversial phrase

The American continent was inhabited for tens of thousands of years. Thus the term "Discovery of America" has been strongly criticized and accused of Eurocentric by Indian-origin populations, various social movements, American politicians and by various specialists ^{Exploring America}

After the first voyages of Columbus in 1492 and 1494-1495, other Europeans engage in the exploration of the continent.

End of XV ^century

• On 24 June 1497, the Venetian John Cabot , landfall and explore the coast for some time before leaving for England. The precise location of its first berth is controversial, but the Canadian and British governments consider it arrived at Bonavista on Newfoundland.

• In 1498, Joo Fernandes Lavrador mapping the north-eastern North America , and discovered probably the Labrador. On 30 May the same year, Christopher Columbus began his third expedition. He visited St. Vincent , the Grenada , Trinidad , Margarita , and the coast of Venezuela near the Orinoco.

• In 1499 Alonso de Ojeda recognizes the South America near the Orinoco. He discovered a natural harbor which he called "Venezuela" (in French, "Little Venice") he landed in Guyana.
  Amerigo Vespucci and Ojeda separates from continuing his journey to the mouth of the Amazon.

^Sixteenth century

The book of new land is the earliest mention of the voyage of Christopher Columbus. Printed by Mikil Bakal in 1506 in Pilsen. Exhibited at the Strahov Monastery , Prague.

• On 22 April 1500, Pedro Alvares Cabral reached the coasts of Brazil.
  The same year, Vicente Yaez Pinzon and Diego de Lepe explore the northern coast of Brazil and the Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real landed on the east coast of Newfoundland.

• In 1501, Gaspar Corte-Real and his brother Miguel is likely to reach Labrador and Newfoundland. They split up, and Gaspar disappears without a trace. Miguel launches an expedition to find him in 1502 and disappeared in turn.
  The same year, the Spaniard Rodrigo de Bastidas from the coast of Colombia and now in 1502 reached La Punta Manzanillo, near the Isthmus of Panama.
  While Velez de Mendoza explores the northern coast of Brazil. Gonalo Coelho and Amerigo Vespucci trying to find a passage to Asia down to South America.

• On ¹ January 1502, Amerigo Vespucci discovered a large bay which he named Rio de Janeiro. He then goes up to Patagonia , but found no passage to Asia.

• May 9 1502, Christopher Columbus began his fourth voyage. He visited St. Lucia , the Martinique , the Honduras , on Nicaragua , the Costa Rica and Panama. It ran aground in Jamaica trying to return to Hispaniola.

• In 1506, Jehan Denis made a map of Newfoundland after having set foot.

• In 1507, Martin Waldseemller published Introductio Cosmographiae also called Waldseemller Map. First mention of the name America on a map. Representation of the Isthmus of Panama and a possible transition between the two American continents allowing free access between the two oceans. Representation also of the mountain ranges of the Andes and Rocky Mountains yet unknown officially 1507. It was not until the official travel Magellan in 1520 , to address the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

• In 1508, Juan Ponce de Len founded the Caparra settlement on the island of Puerto Rico , in 1521 she moved back to San Juan.

• April 2, 1513, Juan Ponce de Len is probably the first European to land on the territory of the United States modern in Florida.
  On 25 September, Vasco Nez de Balboa sees for the first time the Pacific Ocean from a hill east of the Isthmus of Panama.

• July 25, 1515, Panfilo de Narvez based in Havana.
  Francisco Hernndez de Crdoba explored the Nicaragua and Honduras in 1516.

• April 22, 1519, Hernn Corts founded the city of Veracruz , and participated in the conquest of Mexico.

• In September, the fleet of Ferdinand Magellan bypasses the America en route to the Indonesia. ¹ November 1520, it enters the Strait of Magellan.

• In 1522, Pascual de Andagoya fails in his attempt to conquer Peru.

• In 1524, Francisco Pizarro began his first expedition to Peru, which quickly turns to disaster.
  The same year, Giovanni da Verrazano was commissioned by the King of France Francis ^I to explore the area between Florida and Newfoundland. he discovered including the New York Bay , which he named " New Angouleme.

Representation in the Andes and Rocky Mountains.

• In 1526, Pizarro expedition off again and succeeded in Peru in 1528.
  In April of that year, Panfilo de Narvaez landed in Florida. Chased by the natives, he disappears in a storm while attempting to return to Mexico.

• In late January 1531, Francisco Pizarro began his third expedition to Peru, with 180 men and three ships. 15 November 1532, he captured the Inca Atahualpa , he is then executed. In 1534 he went to Cuzco.

• In spring 1534 , Jacques Cartier explored the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

• 1535 - in 1536 : during a second voyage, Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence River to the Indian village of Hochelaga , where he called the highest hill called Mount Royal.

• May 30 1539, Hernando de Soto arrived in Espiritu Santo ( Tampa Bay ) and began exploring the interior of the current United States.
  The same year, Francisco de Ulloa explores occidendales coasts of Mexico and discovered the Gulf of California which he named "Sea of Cortez." It runs along its shores and discovers the existence of the Baja California Peninsula that bypasses to the Bay of La Paz.

• In spring 1540 , Soto reached the Mountains Appalachians and stayed there a month. May 8, 1541, Soto discovered the Mississippi River (south of the present city of Memphis ) and winters on the banks of the Arkansas. After his death, May 21, 1542, the expedition down the Mississippi to its mouth on the Gulf of Mexico.

• Between 1540 and 1542 , Francisco Vasquez de Coronado explores the current southwestern U.S. will become the Alta California. It will be the first to see the Grand Canyon of Colorado.
  In parallel, Hernando de Alarcn at the head of a squadron, along the western coasts of Mexico to the Gulf of California and discovered the mouth of the Colorado at the bottom of it.

• In 1542, Francisco de Orellana down the river Amazon to the mouth

• 1576 - 1 578 , in search of the Northwest Passage, Martin Frobisher travels to northern Canada. He sees the coast of Labrador , wets Resolution Island on the eastern tip of Baffin Island and discovered the bay that bears his name.

• In 1577 - 1 580 , during his world tour, Francis Drake was the first to pass the Cape Horn by the passage that now bears his name. It then passes along the U.S. coast of the Pacific to the current City of Vancouver.

XVII ^century

• In 1609 , Henry Hudson enters the New York Bay and up the river that bears his name. The following year, June 25 to find the northwest passage, he reached the strait which bears his name , and then discovered the bay that bears his name on 2 August.

• In 1616 , Willem Schouten was the first to round Cape Horn.

• In 1669 , Rene Robert Cavelier de La Salle explores lakes Ontario and Erie , the easternmost of the Great Lakes. He also reached the river Ohio.

• In 1672 , the upper headwaters of the Mississippi was discovered by Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette.

• 1,680 - 1,682 , the party of Quebec , Rene Robert Cavelier de La Salle, during a second trip, reached the southern Lake Michigan and down the Mississippi in its entirety to its mouth.

XVIII ^century

• In 1741 , during a first shipment, Vitus Bering discovered the strait that bears his name , proving that the continents Eurasian and American were separated. During a second trip, he saw the south coast of Alaska , and landed on Kayak Island or in the vicinity. Under the command of Alexei Chirikov , his Russian companion, a second ship discovered the shores of northwestern North America, including the Alexander Archipelago that is to say, the Southeast Alaska today.

XIX ^century

Discovery of America Indoor

• One thousand seven hundred ninety-nine - 1804 , shipments of Alexander von Humboldt in South America.

• One thousand eight hundred and four - 1806 , Expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the American West.

• In 1825 , Frederick William Beechey explored the northern coast of Alaska and discovers Point Barrow.

• 1831 - 1,836 , Travel Charles Darwin in South America.

• From 1850 to 1854 , Robert McClure proves the existence of the Northwest Passage that route from west to east.

XX ^century

• 1909 , Robert Peary reached the North Pole.

References

See also

Related articles

• Columbian Exchange
• Great maritime discoveries
• European colonization of the Americas
• Pre-Columbian transoceanic contacts
• Chinese circumnavigation of the hypothesis

Archaeological riddles

• Dighton Rock
• Pedra da Gavea

Bibliography

• Bartolom and Lucile Bennassar, 1492, Perrin, 1991, 273 pages ( ISBN 2-262-00752-7 ).
• Chaunu , conquest and exploitation of new worlds, PUF, New Clio, Paris, 1995.
• Denis Crouzet , Columbus: Herald of the Apocalypse, 2006.
• Bernard Grunberg, Dictionary of the conquistadors of Mexico, L'Harmattan, 2003, 632 pages ( ISBN 9782747510073 )
• Jacques Heers , The Discovery of America, Complexe, 1991, 190 pages.
• Charles C. Mann, 1491. New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, Albin Michel, 2007
• Jos Rabasa, Inventing America: Spanish Historiography and training of Eurocentrism, L'Harmattan, 2002, 262 pages ( ISBN 2747533883 )

• Portal History
• Portal of the maritime world
• Portal Renaissance
• Portal Exploration

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