The explorers

Christopher Columbus, an Italian sailor sponsored by Spain, made one of the earliest and most significant voyages to the Americas.
He is best recognised for his 1492 voyage when he inadvertently landed in the Bahamas in the Caribbean, having aimed for Asia.
Columbus made four voyages to the Americas between 1492 and 1502, exploring areas of the Caribbean, South America and Central America.
Columbus mistakenly believed he had reached Asia and thus referred to the indigenous people as Indians, a term still used today.
Columbus had a significant impact upon the indigenous civilisations he came into contact with, and his voyages marked the start of prolonged European colonisation of the Americas.

John Cabot was an Italian explorer who sailed under the English flag.
In 1497, Cabot embarked on a mission, backed by England’s King Henry VII, aiming to reach Asia by travelling westwards across the Atlantic.
Just like Columbus, Cabot also unwittingly made landfall in North America and is credited with the European ‘discovery’ of mainland North America.
He explored the region around Newfoundland, claiming it for England and paving the way for later English colonisation of Americas.

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who undertook the first circumnavigation of the globe, though he did not complete it due to his death on the journey.
His expedition, carried out between 1519 and 1522, proved conclusively that the world was round and not flat and that the Americas and Asia were different continents.
Magellan discovered and navigated through the Strait of Magellan, a treacherous and intricate passage at the southern tip of South America.
Although he died during the expedition, his voyage laid the groundwork for future navigational routes and contributed to a greater understanding of the world’s geography.

Hernán Cortés was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition resulting in the fall of the Aztec Empire.
Cortés is known for his brutal and ruthless approach to conquest, demonstrated in his siege of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire.
His actions significantly expanded Spanish territories in the Americas and shaped the future of Mexico and its indigenous cultures.
His conquest of the Aztec Empire also ensured an abundant flow of gold and riches to Spain, bolstering its position as a leading global power in the 16th century.