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Spanish Conquest & Exploration in North America in the 16th century
A map illustrating Spain’s drive to expand its empire following the 1492 Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula and Columbus's discovery of America. Inspired by tales of land and instant riches, thousands flocked to the New World with hopes...

Video
The Age of Exploration: Crash Course
The thing about European History is that it tends to leak out of Europe. Europeans haven't been great at staying put in Europe. As human beings do, the people of Europe were very busy traveling around to trade, to spread religion, and in...

Video
Vikings: Viking Exploration
A short documentary on the key aspects of Viking exploration.

Video
Christopher Columbus: Life and Voyages in the Age of Exploration
Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 CE and died in 1506 at the age of 54. He became famous during his lifetime as the man who discovered the ‘new world’ - understood as the Americas generally during the Age of Exploration. Since the 19th...

Video
The Trickster Archetype in Native American Mythology An Exploration of Wisdom and Deception
In this video, we delve into the fascinating world of Native American mythology to explore the figure of the Trickster. Across various tribes and cultures, the Trickster is a complex archetype that embodies both wisdom and deception, creativity...

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Caravel
The caravel (caravela in Spanish and Portuguese), was a type of medium-sized ship which, with its low draught and lateen or triangular sails, made it ideal for exploration from the 15th century onwards. Fast, manoeuvrable, and only needing...

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Prince Henry the Navigator
Prince Henry the Navigator (aka Infante Dom Henrique, 1394-1460) was a Portuguese prince who famously helped capture the North African city of Ceuta, sponsored voyages of exploration with the aim of building colonies in the North Atlantic...

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Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama (c. 1469-1524) was a Portuguese navigator who, in 1497-9, sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa and arrived at Calicut (now Kozhikode) on the south-west coast of India. This was the first direct voyage from...

Article
Indian Ocean Trade before the European Conquest
Finding a maritime route to the East and gaining access to the lucrative spice trade stood at the root of the European Age of Exploration. However, when Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope and reached the Indian Ocean in 1493, he...

Article
Hanno: Carthaginian Explorer
In the 5th century BCE, the Carthaginian explorer Hanno sailed beyond the Pillars of Hercules, out of the Mediterranean and into hitherto unknown territory down the Atlantic coast of Africa. In his search to find new resources and trading...