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Age of Exploration: Columbus's First Voyage

Related Article: Learn more about Christopher Columbus.

When Christopher Columbus and his crew did spot land 36 days after leaving the Canary Islands, it was not Asia, but the Bahamas.
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The Franklin Mystery: Failed Sea Voyage in 1845

The Franklin Mystery: Failed Sea Voyage in 1845 (4:19)

Watch this video about a failed sea voyage through icy waters on HowStuffWorks. In 1845, one of the British Empire's top naval captains never returned from a voyage through London's icy Northwest Passage. Find out why this expedition failed in this... More »

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus (0:46)

From the Archives of Discovery: Christopher Columbus was once hailed as the discoverer of the New World, but today historians consider him only one of several explorers to cross the ocean. Learn more about early explorers in this video.

Exploring the World: Vasco de Gama

Exploring the World: Vasco de Gama (0:33)

Christopher Columbus continued to look for a route to Asia. In the meantime, Vasco de Gama discovered a route to Asia going around Africa.

Age of Exploration: World in 1400

Age of Exploration: World in 1400 (1:13)

During the fifteenth century, Europeans went to sea to explore lands far beyond anything they had known before.

Age of Exploration: Henry the Navigator

Age of Exploration: Henry the Navigator (1:53)

Prince Henry, the Navigator of Portugal, founded a school to improve sailors' ability to navigate in open water, just as ships became capable of traveling long distances.

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The Age of Discovery: The First Voyage Around the World

The Age of Discovery: The First Voyage Around the World (2:02)

Magellan proved that the earth is round when he made his three-year voyage around the world.

The Age of Discovery: The New World

The Age of Discovery: The New World (1:40)

Vespucci recognized he had found a "new world," as he explored the Caribbean. John and Sebastian Cabot explored the east coast of Canada.

The Age of Discovery: Prince Henry the Navigator

The Age of Discovery: Prince Henry the Navigator (1:58)

Prince Henry the Navigator founded a school of navigation based on astronomy and mathematics.

The Explorers: Conquest of the Inca

The Explorers: Conquest of the Inca (4:39)

In 1531 Pizarro discovered the Inca empire, kidnapped the emperor Atahualpa and ransomed him for gold and silver. When the Incas paid, Pizarro went back on his word, executed the emperor and conquered the whole empire.

The Explorers: Spanish Exploration

The Explorers: Spanish Exploration (2:33)

In 1513, Francisco Pizarro accompanied Vasco Núñez de Balboa to search for what they called the Southern Sea. They crossed Panama and were the first Europeans to see the Pacific Ocean from the eastern edge of the land.

The Explorers: The Inca Religion

The Explorers: The Inca Religion (1:47)

The Incas worshipped deities of the sun, water, and earth and many of their religious rituals were conducted for the purpose of divination. Llama sacrifice was common, while human sacrifice was only resorted to during desperate times.

The Explorers: Inca Agriculture and Building

The Explorers: Inca Agriculture and Building (3:32)

Much of the land the Incas controlled was filled with mountains and valleys, so they built irrigated terraces on steep cliff walls and used llamas, which were indigenous to the Andes.

The Explorers: The Inca Empire

The Explorers: The Inca Empire (2:55)

The Incas expanded their empire from the Andes mountains to the southern rainforest and west coast. They maintained control over their citizens by intermingling loyal subjects and newly conquered people, and connected their empire with a system of... More »

The Explorers: Introduction

The Explorers: Introduction (1:08)

The Incas rose from an indigenous tribe to an empire that dominated almost the entire western region of South America. However, their empire was weakened by disease and tribal infighting, which made it an easy target for the Spanish conquistadors.

The Explorers: Trade Route to the Indies

The Explorers: Trade Route to the Indies (3:00)

Riches from the Indies included silk, cotton, tea, sugar, gold and spices. The long and difficult land trade route necessitated crossing mountains and deserts. Learn more about trade routes in this clip.