sign in sign up
<<
Home , Giovanni da Verrazzano

Giovanni da Verrazzano Biography Explorer (c. 1485–1528)

Giovanni da Verrazzano was an Italian it with a handful of crewmen. The southern tip of , where he explorer who charted the Atlantic group was soon attacked by a large stayed until a storm a pushed him coast of between the assemblage of cannibalistic natives toward Martha’s Vineyard. He finally Carolinas and , who killed them and ate them all as came to rest at what is known today as including Harbor in 1524. Girolamo and the rest of the crew Newport, . Verrazzano The Verrazano–Narrows Bridge in watched from the main ship, unable to and his men interacted with the local New York was named after him. help. population there for two weeks, before Who Was Giovanni da Verrazzano? When Did Giovanni da Verrazzano returning to France in July 1524. Giovanni da Verrazzano was born Start Exploring? Early Years around 1485 near Val di Greve, 30 Verrazzano and Francis I met between Giovanni da Verrazzano was miles south of , . Around 1522 and 1523, and Verrazzano introduced to adventure and 1506 or 1507, he began pursuing a convinced the king that he would be at an early age. He first maritime career, and in the , he the right man to undertake exploratory headed to Egypt and Syria, places that was sent by King voyages to the West on behalf of were considered mysterious and to explore the East Coast of North France; Francis I signed on. nearly impossible to reach at the time. America for a route to the Pacific. He Verrazzano prepared four ships, Sometime between 1507 and 1508, made landfall near what would be loaded with ammunition, cannons, Verrazzano went to France, where he Cape Fear, , in early lifeboats, and scientific equipment, met with King Francis I. He also came March and headed north to explore. with provisions to last eight months. in contact with members of the French Verrazzano eventually discovered The flagship was named Delfina, in navy, and began to get a feel for the , which now has a honor of the King’s firstborn daughter, navy’s missions and building rapport bridge spanning it named for the and it set sail with with the sailors and commanders. explorer. After returning to Europe, the Normanda, Santa During this period, Christopher Verrazzano made two more voyages Maria and Vittoria. The Santa Columbus, Amerigo to the . On the second, in Maria and Vittoria were lost in a Vespucci and Ferdinand 1528, he was killed and eaten by the storm at sea, while the Delfina and Magellan were making names for natives of one of the Lower Antilles, the Normanda found their way into themselves with their on probably on . battle with Spanish ships. In the end, behalf of and Portugal, and When Was Giovanni da Verrazzano only the Delfina was seaworthy, and it Francis I grew concerned as France Born? headed to the during the fell behind in the exploration of the Giovanni da Verrazzano was born night of January 17, 1524. Like many West. Reports were coming back of around 1485 near Val di Greve, Italy. explorers of the day, Verrazzano was riches in the New World, and paired Cause of Death ultimately seeking a passage to the with the idea of expanding his empire In March 1528, Verrazzano left Pacific Ocean and Asia, and he overseas, Francis I began planning an France on his final voyage, yet again thought that by sailing along the expedition on behalf of his country. seeking the passage to India (after not northern coastline of the New World Accomplishments having found it via a South American he would find a passageway to the Giovanni da Verrazzano added greatly voyage the year before). The West Coast of North America. to the knowledge base of mapmakers expedition, which included After 50 days at sea, the men aboard in terms of the geography of the East Verrazzano’s brother, Girolamo, the Delfina sighted land — generally Coast of North America. In honor of sailed along the coast of thought to be near what would become the famed explorer, the bridge before drifting into the Caribbean Sea. Cape Fear, North Carolina. spanning between This turned out to be the last mistake Verrazzano first steered his ship south, and now bears the explorer would ever make. but upon reaching the northern tip of his name. The Jamestown Verrazzano While sailing south of Jamaica, the Florida, he turned and headed north, Bridge in Rhode Island is also named crew spotted a heavily vegetated, never losing sight of the coastline. On in honor of the explorer. seemingly unpopulated island, and April 17, 1524, the Delfina entered the Verrazzano dropped anchor to explore Bay of New York. He landed on the

Samuel de Champlain Biography Diplomat, Explorer (d. 1635)

Samuel de Champlain was a the network of lakes and other Iroquois, but they lost the battle French explorer and cartographer geographic features of the region. and Champlain was hit in the knee best known for establishing and Given his usefulness on Du Pont's with an arrow and unable to walk. governing the settlements of New voyage, the following year He lived with the Hurons that France and the city of . Champlain was chosen to be winter, between the foot of Synopsis geographer on an expedition to Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe. French explorer Samuel de led by Lieutenant-General During his stay, he composed one Champlain was born in 1574 in Pierre Du Gua de Monts. They of the earliest and most detailed Brouage, France. He began landed in May on the southeast accounts of Native American life. exploring North America in 1603, coast of what is now Later Years and Death establishing the city of Quebec in and Champlain was asked to When Champlain returned to the northern colony of New choose a location for a temporary France, he found himself France, and mapping the Atlantic settlement. He explored the Bay of embroiled in lawsuits and was coast and the Great Lakes, before Fundy and St. John River area unable to return to Quebec. He settling into an administrative role before selecting a small island in spent this time writing the stories as the de facto governor of New the St. Croix River. The team built of his voyages, complete with France in 1620. He died on a fort and spent the winter there. maps and illustrations. When he December 25, 1635, in Quebec. In the summer of 1605, the team was reinstated as lieutenant, he Early Life sailed down the coast of New returned to with his wife, Samuel de Champlain was born in England as far south as . who was 30 years his junior. In 1574 (according to his baptismal Although a few British explorers 1627, Louis XIII's chief minister, certificate, which was discovered had navigated the terrain before, Cardinal de Richelieu, formed the in 2012), in Brouage, a small port Champlain was the first to give a Company of 100 Associates to rule town in the province of Saintonge, precise and detailed accounting of and placed Champlain on the western coast of France. the region that would one day in charge. Although Champlain wrote become Plymouth Rock. Things didn't go smoothly for extensively of his voyages and Establishing Quebec Champlain for long. Eager to later life, little is known of his In 1608, Champlain was named capitalize on the profitable fur childhood. He was likely born a lieutenant to de Monts, and they trade in the region, Charles I of Protestant, but converted to set off on another expedition up England commissioned an Catholicism as a young adult. the St. Lawrence. When they expedition under David Kirke to First Explorations arrived in June 1608, they displace the French. They attacked Champlain's earliest travels were constructed a fort in what is now the fort and seized supply ships, with his uncle, and he ventured as Quebec City. Quebec would soon cutting off necessities to the far as Spain and the West Indies. become the hub for French fur colony. Champlain surrendered on From 1601 to 1603, he was a trading. The following summer, July 19, 1629 and returned to geographer for King Henry IV, and Champlain fought the first major France. then joined François Gravé Du battle against the Iroquois, Champlain spent some time Pont's expedition to Canada in cementing a hostile relationship writing about his travels until, in 1603. The group sailed up the St. that would last for more than a 1632, the British and the French Lawrence and Saguenay rivers and century. signed the Treaty of Saint- explored the Gaspé Peninsula, In 1615, Champlain made a brave Germain-en-Laye, returning ultimately arriving in Montreal. voyage into the interior of Canada Quebec to the French. Champlain Although Champlain had no accompanied by a tribe of Native returned to be its governor. By this official role or title on the Americans with whom he had time, however, his health was expedition, he proved his mettle by good relations, the Hurons. failing and he was forced to retire making uncanny predictions about Champlain and the French aided in 1633. He died in Quebec on the Hurons in an attack on the Christmas Day in 1635.