The Search for a Western Passage c1519 to 1527

The second phase of exploration of what is now Canada lasted from 1519 to 1533. During that period, explorers charted the Atlantic Coast in search of a western passage to Asia. This map shows the routes of four explorers: Fagundes (1519 to 1526), Verrazzano (1524), Gomes (1525) and Rut (1527). The map also shows the extent of territory known to Europeans in the period 1497 to 1650; and the navigation of all exploration routes during the period of maritime exploration between 1497 and 1599. The historical names found on the map are derived from contemporaneous maps and written documents of the period.