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  3. Exploration
  4. Topics

Exploration - Topics

In the 15th century, Europeans began to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean in search of new routes to China and the East, but in the process they discovered what they labeled a "New World," although Indigenous people had lived there for centuries. Other explorers have pushed the limits of flight and seafaring, and traversed the frozen Continent of Antarctica.

Amerigo Vespucci Italian explorer, financier, navigator and cartographer, Amerigo Vespucci (1454 - 1512), circa 1500. From an original painting by Bronzino. (Photo by Kean Collection/Getty Images)

Amerigo Vespucci

Amerigo Vespucci was a 16th-century Italian merchant and explorer remembered not only for his voyages that altered the course of history but for bestowing the New World with the name “America.”

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HISTORY: The Northwest Passage

Northwest Passage

Where Is the Northwest Passage? The Northwest Passage spans roughly 900 miles from the North Atlantic north of Canada’s Baffin Island in the east to the Beaufort Sea north of the U.S. state of Alaska in the west. It’s located entirely within the Arctic Circle, less than 1,200 miles from the North [JR1] . Traversing […]

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3:49 minTV-PG

History Lists: Explorers Not Named Columbus

From John Cabot to Bartolomé de las Casas, learn more about notable explorers NOT named Christopher Columbus in this web exclusive.

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3:25 minTV-PG

Vasco da Gama: Fast Facts

Nobleman and explorer Vasco da Gama established a trade route that linked Portugal directly with the Indian spice market. Learn how he managed to sail around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope in this video.

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2:47 min

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador and eventual Governor of Peru Francisco Pizarro acquired wealth through kidnapping, ransom, and murder. Find out more about his violent rise to power in this video.

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Pirates

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1:33 minTV-14

Viking Women

In Viking society, women enjoyed a surprising degree of autonomy and independence.

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2:30 minTV-14

Vikings

There’s a lot more to these seafaring warriors than their famous longships. Get the full story.

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2:08 minTV-14

Columbus Day

Did Columbus really discover America? Get the full story.

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2:58 minTV-14

The Vikings

The Vikings sought adventure and trading opportunities by using their maritime skills to push beyond the boundaries of European exploration.

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2:56 minTV-14

Columbus Sails West

Columbus unknowingly discovers the New World when he sails west to find a new spice route to Asia.

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Portrait of Marco Polo (Venice, 1254-1324) by Annibale Strata

Marco Polo

Marco Polo: The Early Years Marco Polo was born around 1254 into a prosperous merchant family in the Italian city-state of Venice. His father, Niccolò, and his uncle Maffeo had left the year before on a long-term trading expedition. As a result, he was raised by extended relatives following his mother’s death at a young […]

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