| Term | Definition |
| John Cabot | Italian explorer who sailed for England to main land North America |
| Henry Hudson | 1565-1611 english sea captain who explored North America in search of a Northwest passage in the early 1600's |
| Robert Lasalle | Frence Explorer who claimed Mississippi river valley for France and named this territory Louisiana |
| England | Part of the United Kindom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland |
| France | Country in Western Europe |
| Netherlands {Dutch} | Small country in Europe that borders Belguim and Germany |
| New France | The French colonies in North America |
| New Netherlands | Dutch colonies in North America |
| Northwest Passage | Water route that explorers hope would flow through North America and connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans |