In the late 1400's, the Spanish and the Portuguese were the two great European maritime powers of the time.
As far as they were concerned, the half empty part of the world was up for grabs and strenuous efforts were made to act on the tantalising rumours and evidence that untold riches from the East were there for the taking.
The known world (in white) circa 1490
The goal was to reach the "India's" where gold, spices and slaves would form the currency of financial success. This would require the discovery of a sea route to India, which in turn, meant finding a way past Africa.
It took nearly 60 years of exploration of the west African coast by the Portuguese to finally turn the corner at the Cape of Good Hope (step forward Vasco de Gama) and land on the Malabar coast in 1498.
Unfortunately, Mr de Gama established a pattern of brutality and hostage taking that was echoed down the years as other nations started their imperialistic colonisation programmes.
Enter stage left one Cristoforo Colombo, an Italian chancer who initially wanted in on the African/India gig but so annoyed the Portuguese king with his self made, barrow boy approach to courtly protocol that he became persona non grata there.
Columbo, although this may not be historically accurate as there is no evidence that Christopher Columbo smoked cigars
Chris nipped up to Castilla (Spain as now is) and, using information gleaned from astronomers, mathematicians, cartographers and the pub, made the plausible claim that because the earth was now round, and not flat anymore, surely there would be a back passage to India by heading out west?
Colombo secured funding from the Spanish Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, packed his mac and subsequently bumped into the Bahamas in 1492, followed by Cuba and Haiti.
Employing the modus operandi of invaders, Columbus kidnapped several Native Americans, (whom he called "Indians", believing that he had reached India), acquired some gold and returned to Spain to a less than heroes welcome.
This area Columbus discovered, is called the "West Indies" to counter his mistaken belief that he had reached the "East Indies".
With the idea established that going west would ultimately pay off, a series of men stepped forward looking to immortalise themselves by adding their monikers to the unfolding charts they were creating.
John Cabot (Venetian) - in 1497 fetched up on the coast of Newfoundland after setting sail from Bristol, further adding to the knowledge that there was indeed a "New World" out there and that the way forward, or west, would probably lie to the north.
He left a trail.
A trail, very similar to the one Cabot left behind
Jacques Cartier (French) - in 1534 explored Newfoundland and the Gulf of St Lawrence, discovering Prince Edward Island.
He left a watch.
A watch, not very similar to the one Cartier had nothing to do with
Henry "Rock" Hudson (English) - in 1609, hired by the Dutch East India Company to look for the Northwest Passage. He did find a couple of things already named after him, such as the River and the Bay. but not much else, and disappeared somewhere in his Bay when the crew mutinied and cast him adrift.
He left his name everywhere.
A car with a Hudson name
John Franklin - of course.
Roald Amundsen - completed the first transit of the Passage by a European in a boat in 1906.
He left for the South Pole and further glory.
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