Lewis and Clark's expedition changed the course of American history. Through their explorations, a new nation found its identity. See more »

An Irish monk named St. Brendan may have been the first European to visit the Americas. Although there is no hard evidence to back the claim, written accounts of his voyages, petroglyphs and Viking history suggest St. Brendan may have beaten Columbus See more »

Lewis and Clark Expedition (May 14, 1804-September 23, 1806), an expedition sent by President Thomas Jefferson to examine the resources of the far Northwest. See more »

Henry, Alexander (1739-1824), a Canadian fur trader and explorer. He made many trips through the uncharted region that later became northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. See more »

Columbus, Christopher (1451-1506), an Italian navigator and explorer. (Christopher Columbus is the Latin form of his name. See more »

Coronado, Francisco Vasquez de (1510-1554), a Spanish explorer of the American Southwest. See more »

Hudson, Henry (?-1611), an English navigator and explorer. His exploration of the Hudson River, on a voyage sponsored by the Dutch, led to their colonization of what is now New York City. See more »

The earliest people in the Americas probably were Asians who crossed the prehistoric land bridge across the Bering Strait. See more »

Gray, Robert (17551806), a United States sea captain and fur trader. In 1792. while sailing along the Pacific coast, he discovered the Columbia River and named it for his ship. See more »

Raleigh (or Ralegh), Sir Walter (1552-1618), an English soldier, seaman, politician, writer, and colonizer. See more »