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Spanish Explorers of America
By Mary Lynn Bushong
1
Who was the first explorer of America? Do you know?
Some people think it was Christopher Columbus. Some
people think it was a Viking named Leif Eriksson. Others
credit a Chinese monk named Hoei Shin.
2
The first explorers from Spain were led by Columbus. He
was sent by Isabella, the queen of Spain. His job was to find a
shorter way to get to China. It took months to get to China by sailing around Africa.
Columbus thought he could get there by sailing due west.
3
When Columbus sailed west in 1492, he did not find China. He found the island of
Haiti. He thought the land was really India and called the natives, Indians. He soon found
out that he was wrong. That did not matter. He saw that the land was good and the people
had gold. He went back to Spain and told the queen. She was very happy with him. He
made three more trips back to the New World.
4
Many people in Spain wanted more money. Some thought they could get rich quick
in the New World. One of those men was Vasco Balboa. During his search for gold in
1513, he crossed Panama. On the other side he saw the Pacific Ocean. He claimed it for
Spain.
5
That same year, Ponce de Leon began to explore Florida. He called it that because of
all the flowers. He tried to start many settlements. He also looked for something. He tried
to find the Fountain of Youth, but he never did.
The king of Spain saw that the New World was full of riches. He wanted more gold.
He was fighting wars at home and needed the money.
6
7
To help get more gold from the New World, soldiers called "conquistadors" were sent
in. Their job was to stop the natives from fighting the Spaniards. The soldiers killed
thousands of people, but sickness killed even more. Some of the soldiers were led by a
man named Cortez.
8
In 1519, a man named Ferdinand Magellan began to sail around the world. He took
five ships. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean and sailed around the bottom of South America.
Then he sailed northwest again. The ships got to the Philippine Islands where Magellan
was killed in a fight with the natives. After three years, only one of the ships made it
home to Spain again.
9
Hernando De Soto did not just look for gold in the New World. He looked for cities
of gold. In 1539, he began to search for the seven golden cities of Cibola. He wanted to
add the gold to Spain's wealth. He died during the search. A man named Coronado took
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over the search in 1540. Neither of the men ever found the fabled cities. They did explore
a lot of America's Southwest.
10
Spain claimed much of the land in Central America and Florida. They did not make
colonies in the colder parts of America. That was left to England, France, and a few other
countries.
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Date ___________________
Name _____________________________
Spanish Explorers of America
1. Why did Spain send Columbus on his
2. De Soto looked for the:
voyage west?
3. Magellan was a hero when he got back
to Spain.
False
True
5. Why did Spain need gold?
Fountain of Youth
Golden Valley
Seven cities of Cibola
Pirate treasure
4. Ponce de Leon gave Florida its name
because of the:
Flowers
Beaches
Fountain of Youth
6. What explorer saw the Pacific Ocean
first?
De Soto
Magellan
Balboa
Cortez
7. Why were soldiers sent to the New
World?
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8. More natives died from sickness than in
battle.
False
True
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