Renaissance History: European Settlers

Begin a time line by drawing a horizontal line across a long piece of butcher paper, 2-3 inches from the bottom. Begin with the year 1490 on the left and write 1870 on the right. Make a mark to indicate every 10 years. Label every 50 years. This will be added to as we cover the major events in our history studies.

Write the first event and its date on an index card. Tape on the appropriate place on the timeline. These cards can later be taken off and stored in a history file box or in your history notebook.

In the 1400's Europeans were very eager to explore the world beyond what they knew. North America was discovered by accident but it was found because explorers were out looking for something new. Research explorers to North America. Find out what they were looking for and what they found. Add these dates to your timeline on index cards. Possible explorers to research are:
John Cabot
Robert Cave lier de LaSalle
Christopher Columbus
Giovanni da Verrazano
Ferdinand Magellan
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
Juan Ponce de Leon
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
America Vespucci

Answer the following questions following your research.
Why was a ruler of a country in Europe interested in the New World?
Why did the head of the family risk his life and the lives of his family and venture to the New World?
What opportunities did European merchants see in the New World?
What motivated men to come to the New World alone?
What interest did the church have in the New World?