1. lived in China for twenty years--Marco Polo
2. searched for the Fountain of Youth--Ponce de Leon
3. first to explore the St. Lawrence River--Cartier
4. began the first permanent French settlement--Champlain
5. explored the Mississippi with Marquette--Joliet
6. followed the Mississippi to the Gulf--La Salle
7. first to round the Cape of Good Hope--Dias
8. discovered the Mississippi River--De Soto
These questions highlight the period of exploration occurring in the 15th-16th century. Marco Polo was the inspiration for the period because he introduced Asian productions to Europeans. Exploration had the goal of finding a direct route to Asia. Exploration eventually led Europeans to the Americas where explorers would take the risk to discover the geography and resources of the new land.