A quest for new trade routes, wealth, and territorial expansion drove early exploration of North America. European explorers such as Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, and Jacques Cartier ventured across the Atlantic Ocean in the 15th and 16th centuries, encountering indigenous peoples and diverse landscapes. Their expeditions paved the way for subsequent colonization efforts by European powers, leading to profound cultural exchanges, conflicts, and the establishment of permanent settlements. Explorers navigated treacherous waters, mapped coastlines, and sought resources like gold and spices, shaping the course of history on both sides of the Atlantic and laying the groundwork for developing the modern Americas.
The Early Exploration of North America Primary Source Subject Guide presents a curated collection of firsthand accounts, maps, and documents illuminating the exploration of the continent. From the journeys of European explorers to encounters with indigenous peoples, this guide offers insight into the diverse perspectives and experiences that shaped the early exploration of North America. Through various primary sources, readers gain a deeper understanding of the motivations, challenges, and cultural exchanges that occurred during this pivotal historical period.
Adventure in the Wilderness: The American Journals of Louis Antoine de Bougainville, 1756-1760 by 
After Coronado; Spanish Exploration Northeast of New Mexico, 1696-1727 by 
The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico by 
Cabeza de Vaca's Adventures in the unknown interior of America by 
Boca Raton General Collection F1230 .F9 by 
Down the Colorado by 
Encounters in the New World: A History in Documents by 
Exploration and survey of the valley of the Great salt lake of Utah by Exploration and survey of the valley of the Great Salt Lake of Utah by 
Explorers of the American east : mapping the world through primary documents by Exploring the Northwest Territory : Sir Alexander Mackenzie's journal of a voyage by bark canoe from Lake Athabasca to the Pacific Ocean in the summer of 1789 by Exploring with Frémont : the private diaries of Charles Preuss, cartographer for John C. Frémont on his first, second, and fourth expeditions to the Far West by 
The Expeditions of John Charles Fremont by The new democracy in America; travels of Francisco de Miranda in the United States, 1783-84. by The road to Virginia City: the diary of James Knox Polk Miller. by 
The First Colonists by Works Issued by the Hakluyt Society
England and the discovery of America, 1481-1620, from the Bristol voyages of the fifteenth century to the Pilgrim settlement at Plymouth: the exploration, exploitation, and trial-and-error colonization of North America by the English. by 
Set fair for Roanoke : voyages and colonies, 1584-1606 by The American drawings of John White, 1577-1590, with drawings of European and oriental subjects. by 
American Encounters by 
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