The great explorers: the European discovery of America

English ships and seamen 1490-1600

John Cabot's voyages 1497-1798

Voyages to the Labrador and Newfoundland 1500-1536

The French maritime background 1453-1590

The voyages of Verrazzano 1524-1528

Cartier's first voyage 1534

Cartier's second voyage 1535-1536

The search for Saguenay 1538-1543

Queen Elizabeth and her master mariners

Frobisher's second and third voyages 1577-1578

The northern voyages of John Davis 1585-1587

Christopher Columbus

His "enterprise of the Indies"

Columbus's first voyage of discovery, August-October 1492

The greater Antilles, 12 October 1492-15 March 1493

Triumph and tragedy, March 1493-April 1494

Jamaica, Cuba, and rebellion, 1494-1496

Third voyage, mainland discovered, 1498-1500

The mariner's day

Columbus's fourth voyage, 1502-1504

Ferdinand Magellan

Armada de Molucca, 1517-1519

Magellan's voyage to the strait, 1519-1520

"The strait that shall forever bear his name," October-November 1520

Across the Pacific

Philippines and Spice Islands

Homeward bound, 1522

Drake's voyage of circumnavigation, 1577-1579

Drake in California, 1579

English ships and seamen 1490-1600. Design, build, and rigging ; Getting under way ; Food, cooking, and clothing ; The sailor, his wages and division of labor ; Ballast and bilgewater ; Navigation ; Shipboard religion ; Weapons, sweeps, and anchors

John Cabot's voyages 1497-1798. Who was John Cabot? ; Bristol and the Transatlantic Passage ; The landfall ; June 1497 ; The coastal voyage ; His homeward passage ; Cabot's second voyage

Voyages to the Labrador and Newfoundland 1500-1536. Joao Fernandes, Lavrador ; Gaspar and Miguel Corte Real ; The Anglo-Azorean syndicate and Sebastian Cabot ; Fishermen and Newfoundland cartography, 1502-1524 ; Joao Alvares Fagundes ; Robert Thorne's letter and John Rut's voyage ; Master Hore's tourist cruise

The French maritime background 1453-1590. Emerging Normandy ; Brittany ; La Rochelle ; Bordeaux and the Gironde ; Shipbuilding ; Inauguration of the Grand Bank fishery

The voyages of Verrazzano 1524-1528. Francois-premier and the search for a northern strait ; Giovanni da Verrazzano, gentleman explorer ; From Deserta to the "Isthmus" ; Et in Arcadia Ego ; Angouleme and Refugio ; Maine, "land of bad people" ; End of the voyage, and Giovanni

Cartier's first voyage 1534. Le maitre-pilote Jacques Cartier ; Cartier's first voyage gets under way ; South shore of the Labrador ; West coast of Newfoundland ; Brion, Magdalen, and Prince Edward Islands ; Gaspe ; Anticosti and home

Cartier's second voyage 1535-1536. To sea with royal and Episcopal blessing ; Retracing first voyage ; Le Chemyn de Canada ; Stadacone-Quebec ; Hochelaga ; First winter in Canada

The search for Saguenay 1538-1543. Preparations for Cartier's third voyage ; Roberval and diplomatic snooping ; Cartier's third voyage ; Cartier meets Roberval and goes home ; The valiant demoiselle ; France-Roy and search for Saguenay

Queen Elizabeth and her master mariners. Gloriana ; Enter Gilbert and Frobisher ; Martin Frobisher's first voyage, 1576

Frobisher's second and third voyages 1577-1578. Second voyage begins ; Frobisher Bay again ; Conclusion of second voyage ; Third voyage ; The "Mistaken Straits" ; A summer's ore-gathering ; Homeward bound ; Conclusion

The northern voyages of John Davis 1585-1587. John Davis, master mariner ; First voyage, 1585 ; Second voyage 1586 ; Third voyage, 1587

Christopher Columbus. The African background ; Enter Columbus ; Early years at sea

His "enterprise of the Indies." Columbus's great idea ; Dealing with princes ; Isabella takes him on ; Preparations for first voyage

Columbus's first voyage of discovery, August-October 1492. Columbus the man ; From Palos to San Salvador

The Greater Antilles, 12 October 1492-15 March 1493. South to Cuba ; Hispaniola ; Homeward passage

Triumph and tragedy, March 1493-April 1494. Hour of triumph ; Columbus's second voyage ; From Dominica to Navidad ; Evil days at Isabela

Jamaica, Cuba, and rebellion, 1494-1496. Jamaica and the south coast of Cuba ; Hispaniola and home

Third voyage, mainland discovered, 1498-1500. Preparations ; Third voyage, to Trinidad ; First continental landing ; An "other world" ; Home in chains ; Bibliographical note

The mariner's day. Time and watches ; Ritual and religion ; Food and drink ; Navigation ; End of a day at sea

Columbus's fourth voyage, 1502-1504. The "high voyage" ; Santa Maria de Belen ; Marooned in Jamaica ; Death of the admiral

Ferdinand Magellan

Armada de Molucca, 1517-1519. Preparations ; Ships and crews ; Under way

Magellan's voyage to the strait, 1519-1520. From Sanlucar to the River Plate ; The coast of Patagonia

"The strait that shall forever bear his name," October-November 1520. Strait discovered ; From Cape Virgins to Cape Pillar

Across the Pacific. North from Cape Pillar ; Las Islas Infortunatas ; Starvation at sea, relief at Guam ; From Samar to Cebu ; Battle of Mactan and death of Magellan

Philippines and Spice Islands. Massacre at Cebu ; Throu

gh the Philippines to the spiceries

Homeward bound, 1522. Trinidad's fatal attempt ; Victoria's voyage home

Drake's voyage of circumnavigation, 1577-1579. From Plymouth to Puerto San Julian ; Through the Strait to furthest south ; The buccaneering phase ; Bibliographic note

Drake in California, 1579. Nova Albion ; The good bay of Nova Albion ; The plate of brass, or was it lead? ; Voyage home