Historians talk about the Age of Discovery. Those years—from the early 1400s to the late 1600s—are known for historic voyages. Yes, it was an age of finding new places. But it was every bit as much about finding new ways to get to them.
The Northwest Passage connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This sea route flows through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It was discovered as rescuers searched for missing explorer John Franklin. Year-round sea ice makes this passage often impassible. But it’s a great shortcut for ships when they can get through. It shortens ship routes from Europe to Asia by 2,500 miles!
The Strait of Magellan is a shortcut that flows straight past the tip of South America to connect the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan’s sea voyage to discover it took 99 days. He began in the Atlantic Ocean with three ships. One wrecked. One was deserted. When his ship finally came in sight of the Pacific Ocean, he cried.
Christopher Columbus was convinced that he could find a fast route from Spain to China. He did not want to go around Africa to get to East Asia. In 1492, he tried to go straight to China by crossing the Atlantic. He discovered that the Americas were situated between Europe and Asia. Now that was a surprise!
The Panama Canal was created as a shortcut for ships crossing between North and South America. It opened in 1914. The canal allows the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Panama to flow into the Pacific Ocean. There are three sets of locks in the canal. They are used to adjust the water levels because the Pacific Ocean is slightly higher than the Caribbean Sea. The locks make it possible for ships to cross the canal.
Ponce de León had a mission: find the Fountain of Youth. Was there really a spring that could restore youth? He traveled through the Bahamas along the Florida coast in search of it. He never found it. But he did find lots of turtles on the Dry Tortugas Islands.
A British captain named James Cook was sent on an unusual sea route to track the movement of the planet Venus. His ocean voyage took him to Tahiti and then on to Australia. He was the first European explorer to find Australia. On this voyage, he checked out “down under” and looked up to see Venus pass in front of the Sun.
People wanted a route between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea for centuries. But they didn’t find it. They had to build it. The work started in 1859. Excavating (digging) the land for the Suez Canal took 10 years and around 1.5 million workers. Then the East and West were connected by water for good.
