Hernando de Soto

Hernando De Soto began his career in exploration at age 14 when he traveled to the West Indies. Find out how he became known as the first European to discover the Mississippi River in this video.

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Christopher Columbus Sets Sail

Though he didn't produce much profit for the monarchs of Spain, Columbus opened a path to the new world for all of Europe.

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Jacques Cartier

French explorer Jacques Cartier named Canada after "kanata," the Huron-Iroquois word for settlement. Learn more about his search for a passage to East Asia and how he laid the original French claim for Canada in this video.

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Hernán Cortés: Fast Facts

After establishing a colony in Mexico, Spanish nobleman Hernán Cortés rallied native allies and conquered the Aztec Empire. Learn more about what led him to destroy one of the greatest civilizations in human history in this video.

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Henry Hudson

English explorer Henry Hudson was determined to find the Northwest Passage via the Arctic Circle - even after his crew mutinied. Learn more about his lifelong search in this video.

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