Explorers of the American Continent

During the 15th century, European made efforts to reach China and India by a sea route. Europe had long enjoyed a safe land passage to China and India, sources of silk, opiates, pepper, nutmeg, and other spices. By the 1480s, they had developed a plan to travel to the Indies by sailing directly west across the "Ocean Sea". But, in their voyage they arrived at a new continent. The name America was given to this new continent by European writers and mapmakers. The start of the European colonization of the Americas is typically dated to 1492. There are many explorers of America continents, such as : Columbus, Cortez, Cabral, Balboa and Pizarro.

Christopher Columbus was an Italian sailor born in Genoa. the name Christopher Columbus is actually more like Cristobal Colon in Spanish. Columbus is famous as the discoverer of America. In the year 1492, he got three ships ready to sail (the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina). They sailed to the west. Columbus step ashore on 12 October 1492 on an island in the Bahamas. Columbus believes that he has reached the East Indies. In the first voyage, Columbus also explored the northeast coast of Cuba, Haiti and the northern coast of Hispaniola. In the second voyage, he explored Dominica island, Virgin islands, Puerto rico, and Jamaica. In the third vayage, he explored Trinidad, Tobago, Orinoco river and Margarita island. In the last voyage, he explored the island of Martinique, Central America (Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama).

Hernan Cortez was born in the small town of Medellin in southwestern Spain in 1485. Cortez is famous as the conqueror of Aztec Empire in Central America. In 1519, He landed along with 600 men in the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico). When they arrived in Veracruz, Mexico, Cortez established an independent government and only recognized the authority of the Spanish crown. At that time, Mexico was ruled by the Aztec Empire and its leader, Montezuma II. His goal was nothing less than the conquest of Aztec empire. Hernan Cortez explored Tabasco, Cholula, Tenochtitlan (today, Mexico city), Cuernavaca and Baja California.

Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese navigator and explorer. He also a Portuguese nobleman. On April 22, 1500, he sighted land, naming it the "Island of the True Cross." and claims it for Portugal. It was later renamed once again, to Brazil. In 12 days, Cabral explored 50 miles of the coast, and when he landed on an island in the inlet of Pôrto Seguro (modern day Baia Cabrália) just north of Rio de Janeiro. Initially Portugal had little interest in Brazil. They was more interested in finding India. Today in Brazil, the Brazilians celebrate Cabral for discovering their county.

Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer. In 1501, he crossed the Caribbean coasts from the east of Panama, along the Colombian coast. In 1511, Balboa founded the first European colony in South America, the town of Santa Maria de la Antigua del Darien. But, Balboa is famous for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513. They encountered dense jungles, swamps, violent natives, and rough mountain terrain in the Isthmus of Panama. He succeeded in defeating many tribes of natives without losing any men. Balboa erected a cross, claimed the ocean and all adjacent lands for Spain and named the sea "Mar del Sur" (South Sea).

Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish explorer, conqueror of the Incan Empire and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of Peru. Pizarro's first expedition was in 1509. The expeditions purpose was to explore the land that is now Panama. in that expedition, Balboa was their captain. The second expedition led Pizarro to a northern outpost of the Inca Empire, Tumbez, Pasific coast. Then, Pizarro and his expedition returned to Panama. On Sept. 24th 1532, Pizarro began his march into the interior of the Inca Empire. They entered the city of Cajamarca and Cuzco. Pizarro also founded the city of Lima in Peru's central coast on 18 January 1535.

Unfortunelly, "voyage of discovery" was the beginning of the genocide and slavery in the America continents. European extermination of Natives started with Christopher Columbus' arrival in San Salvador in 1492. Then, Cortez was guilty of genocide against the Aztecs. While, Pizarro was guilty of genocide againts the Incas. Columbus also opened the Atlantic slave trade. By 1510, the slave trade was important to the Caribbean economy.