realistic illustrations depict Vikings in Vinland, Columbus's ship Niña, Ponce de León in Florida, others. Captions.

Discover the origins of European exploration of the Americas. A True Book: American History series allows readers to experience the earliest moments in American history and to discover how these moments helped shape the country that it is today. This series includes an age appropriate (grades 3-5) introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects and a robust resource section that encourages independent study. This book describes the origins of European exploration of the Americas, including the Vikings, the search for a new route to Asia, for gold, and for a Northwest Passage, and discusses the Lewis and Clark Expedition and modern explorers.

Using new archaeological, scientific, and documentary information this book confronts head-on many of the unanswered questions about early exploration and colonization along the shores of the Davis Strait.

Opening Up North America, 1497-1800, Revised Edition integrates in a chronological narrative the voyages taken from Florida to Newfoundland, covering the first recorded contact of John Cabot in 1497 through Alexander Mackenzie's journey across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific in 1793. Through these stories, the geography of northeastern North America is pieced together and the impact European exploration had on Native American society continues to be felt today. Coverage of this title includes: the importance of cod fishing in the North Atlantic; Beaver hats and the role played by the fur trade in exploration of the continent's interior; Spanish, French, and English claims to territory in the southeast in the 16th century; and, exploration by Jacques Cartier, Samuel de Champlain, Henry Hudson, Etienne Brule, Rene-Robert Cavaller, Sieur de La Salle, and others.

Includes: historical background and facts, maps and timeline, arts and crafts projects, reading and writing connections, and evaluation forms.

The story of the European discovery of North America does not end with—in fact it does not really even begin with—Christopher Columbus. This engaging title tells the story of the explorers who became the first Europeans to visit the lands that would later become the United States of America. Readers will learn about the Spanish explorers of the Southwest and the Gulf Coast, the English and Dutch explorers of the Atlantic Coast, and the French explorers of the St. Lawrence River, the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi River. They’ll discover what the goals and motivations behind each expedition were, which native people the explorers encountered, and what sorts of obstacles had to be overcome for each expedition to succeed. A fascinating account of a formational period in American history.

Emphasizes the discoveries and explorations of Columbus, Magellan and Drake during the period.