The journey is difficult, immense.
We will travel as far as we can, but we cannot in one lifetime see
all that we would like to see or to learn all that we hunger to know.
~Loren Eiseley, poet and essayist
In wisdom gathered over time I have found that
every experience is a form of exploration.
~Ansel Adams, photographer
primary source set
This Primary Source Set includes images and analysis tools to help teach about Hispanic Exploration in America.
online resources
Especially for Teachers...
1492: An Ongoing Voyage - (Exhibition) This online exhibit focuses not only on the Northern hemisphere before 1492, but also on those who arrived from Europe and Africa in the 16th and early 17th centuries.
1562 Map of America by Diego Gutierrez, The - (Special Presentation) Learn more about this ornate 16th century map of the western hemisphere made by Spanish cartographer - Diego Gutierrez.
Atlantic World: The Dutch in America, The - (International) Learn about Dutch involvement in the exploration and settlement of North America. This collection includes a variety of maps
Encountering the First American West - (Special Presentation) The five themes presented here explore the trans-Appalachian West from the beginning of European American settlement to the end of the frontier period, focusing particularly on the Ohio River Valley and Kentucky.
Exploring the Early Americas: The Jay I. Kislak Collection - (Exhibition) This exhibition examines indigenous cultures, the drama of the encounters between Native Americans and Europeans, and the changes caused by the meeting of the two worlds. Be sure to explore the Exploration and Encounters section.
France in America - (International) This collaborative digital library explores the history of the French presence in North America from the first decades of the 16th century to the end of the 19th century.
Hispanic and Portuguese World – Encounters in America - (Special Presentation) This section of the online guide to the Library of Congress Hispanic and Portuguese is devoted to resources related to Spanish and Portuguese encounters in America.
Historial Paralelas: Parallel Histories - (International) Examine the history of Spanish expansion into North America in this international multimedia portal.
Lewis and Clark Community Center - (Community Center) Explore links to Lewis and Clark related maps, letters, documents, online resources, lesson plans and books.
Mapping the West - (Exhibition) This animated presentation shows the routes of various expeditions from Lewis and Clark to the 1850s railroad surveys.
Meeting of the Frontiers: Exploration - (International) View documents relating to the Russian discovery of Siberia, exploration of the American West, and Russian exploration throughout the Pacific and Arctic Oceans.
Reports of explorations and surveys - (Document) These 1850's reports documented expeditions made "to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean."
Rivers, Edens, Empires - (Exhibition) This online exhibition and virtual tour feature Lewis and Clark maps and other resources documenting westward exploration.
Waldseemuller 1507 Map of the World - (Special Presentation) This was the first map to depict a separate Western Hemisphere, with the Pacific as a separate ocean.
Today in History (September 27) The Quest of Ponce de Leon - (Today in History) On September 27, 1514, the Spanish crown granted explorer Juan Ponce de Leon the title Military Governor of Bimini and Florida. Ponce de Leon sailed for Florida in 1521.
Today in History(October 25, 1751) Kiska Island - (Today in History) On this date, Vitus Bering and a group of Russian explorers discovered Kiska Island in the Aleutian Island chain of present day Alaska.
Use these lesson plans (created
by educators for educators) to explore topics about exploration
and explorers with your students in your
classroom:
Explorations - (Grades 8-12) Students are introduced to historical perspectives of nature and the environment. Early Images of the United States includes many images recorded by early explorers of the American West.
Journeys West - (Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8,) Students access primary sources to develop an understanding of westward expansion and use this understanding to complete an interdisciplinary WebQuest.
Drake’s West Indian Voyage 1588-1589 - (Grades 6-8,) Students investigate maps depicting a voyage by Sir Francis Drake involving attacks on Spanish settlements around the Atlantic. Students look closely at the details and draw conclusions about individual events as well as the entire voyage.
Waldseemuller’s Map: World 1507 - (Grades 6-8,) Students investigate this historic map by looking closely at the details of each section of the map and then draw conclusions on the revelation of this new and unusual world to the people of 1507.
Is there
a title (or two) that you always read to (or with) your students
when teaching about this theme? Are there
invaluable reference books that you use?
Staff from The Library of Congress have begun a collection of
titles for the "Exploration
and Explorers" theme.
We hope you will contribute
your favorites to our growing bibliography!
First American West: The Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820, The - (Summary and Teaching Resources) This collection consists of 15,000 pages of original historical material documenting the land, peoples, exploration, and transformation of the trans-Appalachian West from the mid-eighteenth to the early nineteenth century.
France in America - (Summary and Teaching Resources) This collaborative digital library explores the history of the French presence in North America from the first decades of the 16th century to the end of the 19th century.