Conquerors and Explorers
by Julia Aldred
1. Christopher Newport
1.1. born in Harwich, England in 1561
1.2. helped establish the English Colony of Jamestown in Virginia
1.2.1. first few years were rough, and Jamestown was torn with plague, famine, and fights
1.2.2. Newport made trips back and forth from England to Jamestown between 1608 and 1611
1.2.3. maintained good relations with the native tribes
1.3. credited with exploring the Chesapeake, since the Spanish left it untouched.
1.4. died in 1617
2. Francisco Pizarro
2.1. born in Trujillo, Spain, in about 1475
2.2. known for conquering the Incan Empire of South America, thus claiming S. America for Spain
2.2.1. arrived in the Incan Empire in 1532
2.2.2. executed the emperor of the Incas, Atahualpu, after he refused to convert to Christianity
2.3. assassinated in 1541 by his enemy's loyalists.
3. Hernán Cortés
3.1. b. 1485 CE in Seville, Spain
3.2. responsible for conquering the Aztec Empire
3.2.1. Cortes used the rulers' unpopularity to his advantage.
3.2.2. He directly disobeyed orders and went to Mexico
3.2.3. named the first governor
3.2.4. built Mexico City on the ruins of the Aztec empire.
3.3. demoted from his position as governor in 1524
3.4. retired after a few more expeditions in 1524
3.5. died in 1547 from pleurisy, a lung disease
4. Samuel de Champlain
4.1. born in France in 1570
4.2. founded the first French Colony in Canada
4.3. discovered and charted the Ottawa River, Lake Huron, and Lake Ontario
4.4. charted much of New England and Canada, including:
4.4.1. St. Lawrence River
4.4.2. Maine
4.4.3. Nova Scotia
4.4.4. Quebec