Our early explorers paved the way for the development of America.  They had the courage, the drive, the passion, to be the first and their discoveries proved to the world that America was a land of extraordinary resources and beauty.

This program is about those American explorers and pioneers who were the pathfinders; those who first explored the valleys, rivers and mountains of America, and those who were the first to make it their home.  Men like Christopher Columbus, Sir Francis Drake, Henry Hudson, James Cook, Daniel Boone, Robert Gray, Lewis and Clark, Charles Wilkes, John Fremont and many more. 

While outlining the exploration of our continent, this video also captures the great beauty and abundant natural resources of our great land.  You’ll see expansive landscapes and breathtaking vistas, from the eastern landscapes and breathtaking vistas, from the eastern seaboard, where the pilgrims first set foot, to the dense forests of Shenandoah… from the great plains of the mid-west, to the soaring Rocky Mountains, and from the stark beauty of the southwestern desert to the magnificence of California coastline.

No period of history can boast of greater beauty than The Renaissance. This was the period, from approximately early 14th century to late 16th century, that gave us Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Shakespeare.

The word 'renaissance' is a French word which means 'rebirth'. The people credited with beginning The Renaissance were deliberately trying to imitate the classical models of Ancient Greek and Rome. They were attempting to return to that golden age that they felt represented a high point for civilization.

This was an age when the world seemed to come alive with invention, creativity, imagination and curiosity. It was an age of exploration marked by the voyages of Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Ponce de Leon, Balboa, De Soto and Marco Polo. It was a time when Venice was the world's busiest seaport and Florence was the heart of great art. At the beginning of The Renaissance, Italy, just as in the golden age of Ancient Rome, was again the center of world culture. Genoa, Milan, Venice, Rome, Verona and Florence were economic, trade and financial leaders for Europe. The Renaissance movement quickly spread all over the continent.

The invention of the Gutenberg printing press in 1450 is a milestone which marks the beginning of The Renaissance. It allowed the spread of ideas possible at a faster rate and in a broader geographical sense. It made The Renaissance possible as a European-wide phenomenon.

Scholars of The Renaissance from Yale University share their knowledge in this video which takes the viewer on a captivating and beautiful trip back to one of the most glorious historic periods.

This video deserves a place in every history student's collection.

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This fascinating program examines the important figures of this period, their motivations for exploring new lands, and their tragedies and successes. These pioneers include Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal, who sponsored many voyages to Africa; Bartolomeu Dias, who discovered the southern cape of Africa; Christopher Columbus, who made four voyages to the Americas; Pedro Cabral, who claimed Brazil for Portugal; John Cabot, who set out to duplicate the journey of Columbus; Amerigo Vespucci, from whom America derives its name; Vasco da Gama, who opened a trade route to India; and Ferdinand Magellan, whose three-year journey took his ship and crew around the world, although he died without seeing the end of the journey.