Age Of Discovery - English, French And Dutch Explorers (1956)

[Music] this is a story of ocean voyages voyages made from Europe across the Atlantic and it is a story of some of the men who made the voyages the French English and Dutch explorers in the age of Discovery in the race to find a water route to Asia the French English and Dutch explorers were following the Portuguese and Spaniards who had gone before them the Portuguese explorer Das in 1488 tried to reach India by sailing Eastward Columbus tried to reach Asia by sailing Westward these Explorations and others that followed were supported by national monarchs merchants and bankers too were willing to risk their money in Explorations in return for a share of wealth that might be found who would be the first to reach the riches of Asia in 1493 word came to England that Columbus had found the Indies the news reached the town of Bristol and in this historic English Port We Begin the English chapter of the story of exploration this Tower overlooking the town commemorates the discovery of America by John kabat and his son Sebastian was Kat the discoverer of America as a Young Man cabat an Italian had traveled in the near East seeing Caravans carrying the valuable products of the Orient perhaps he wondered if these Goods could be brought to Europe by sea later in Bristol cat may have talked to other sea captains talked about sailing Westward as Columbus had done to find a route to Asia cat obtained backing from merchants and from King Henry iith the English Monarch gave to cabat a commission to sail on a voyage of Discovery in the same year that dama rounded Africa cabat sailed Westward from Bristol and cited lands now known as as Nova Scotia and newfinland he didn't know this was the North American continent in the following year 1498 kabat made another Voyage to the same region he was the first to touch this continent the discoverer of America in the race for roots to Asia Spain and Portugal jealously guarded the southeast passage around Africa and the Southwest passage around America but perhaps there was a way through the land cabat had found thus was born the dream of the Northwest Passage through America to Asia now after Cabot the story of Discovery shifts to France the year is 1524 and in the Palace of the French King sits a shrewd Monarch Francis I interested in the possible wealth from new lands King Francis decided to send an explorer to the new world the captain's name was vitano a native of Florence Italy vitano was commissioned in 1524 and he sailed from this Harbor Town of deep in France once again a Westward Voyage of Discovery vitano cited land along what is now the Carolina coast he found no passage but he did find the river later named The Hudson then he continued to Newland already known and then he returned back in France Verano wrote the first description of the Northeast Coast of America 10 years later from this Harbor of San Malo in France another Captain sailed he was Jac k another in the long list of Daring men who sought the Northwest Passage the route to newfinland was well known by now Cartier explored the gulf he later named St Lawrence he found no Northwest Passage but he did land and he laid formal claim to the region for France Cartier also talked with Indians of the region who told him of an Endless River an Endless River was this the Northwest Passage through the continent Cartier was ordered to make a second voyage this time he sailed A Thousand Miles up the great St Lawrence River but the river like the gulf was not the Northwest Passage yet Cartier's explorations opened the way for a New France the start of a French Empire in America now others would take up the dream of the Northwest pass men such as Martin frobisher of England three times he tried to sail around the top of the North American continent each time ice and storms of the northern Seas turned him back in the northern lands frobisher found the people we know as Eskimos they seemed Oriental to him was this then the northern part of Asia on the Northern Bay which he thought thought was the Northwest Passage frisher left his name not realizing he had tried to penetrate a land mass wider than Europe another Englishman Sir Francis Drake was the first to give the world an idea of the extent of America Drake like most English and Dutch explorers was financed by means of a joint stock company here Merchants bankers and even royalty pledged some of money for overseas Enterprises on such an Enterprise Francis Drake sailed in his ship the Pelican The Voyage began in 1577 from England Drake sailed Southward across the Atlantic through the straight of mellan he plundered Spanish ships along the coast of South America Laden with booty he continued northward as far as what is now Puget Sound he was looking for the Western end of a Northwest Passage through which he might return home finding none Drake repaired his ships at this Bay in California still called Drake's Bay from here fearing the aroused Spaniards to the South Drake sailed across the Pacific through the East Indies then he he followed the well-known Southeast passage around Africa and back to England a voyage around the world on his return Queen Elizabeth knighted Drake aboard his ship Drake's search for a western end of a Northwest Passage at the same time that frobisher searched for the Eastern end at last helped men realize how vast America was here was a huge continent not only to explore but to colonize at Rowan Oak Island in 1585 the first attempt was made to plant an English colony the colonizer was Sir Walter righ although his settlement failed another event strengthened English activity overseas once again Sir Francis Drake showed the world superb seamanship Drake led the fleet that destroyed the Spanish Armada in 1588 with this great English Victory Spain's power declined and the ships of a new nation Holland began to take a more active role in overseas exploration and Commerce in his famous ship the half moon an English Navigator sailed for the Dutch he was Henry Hudson exploring the east coast of America as vitano had done he entered this River it now Bears his name the Hudson River but it was not the Northwest Passage later on another Voyage Hudson sailed into the Great Bay that also Bears his name Hudson Bay was this the passage Hudson met only ice locked Waters his discontented crew mutinied leaving Hudson and some of his followers to die in an open boat others might still search for the Northwest Passage but now interest was shifting from exploring to colonizing men were writing glowing reports of the new lands such as Virginia and gradually men began to think of America not as an obstacle in the passage to Asia but rather as America a whole new world where people from England France and the Netherlands could build a New England a New France and and a New Netherland and these achievements were made possible by daring men cabat Verano Cartier frisher Drake Ry and many others explorers who lived in this exciting age of discovery the [Music]