Early explorers of North America included:
- Christopher Columbus, who arrived in the Bahamas in 1492 believing he had reached Asia.
- John Cabot, who explored areas of Canada for England in 1497.
- Jacques Cartier, who explored the Gulf of St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence River for France between 1534-1542.
- Hernando de Soto, who led the first European expedition through the southeastern U.S. in the 1540s seeking gold and a passage to China.