Describes the history of voyages to the United States and Canada, including those of Alexander Mackenzie, John Cabot, Giovanni da Verrazano, Jacques Cartier, and David Thompson.

Triumph and disappointment : 1789-1793 -- The race for spices and the land of codfish : 1497-1509 -- France and Spain along the Mid-Atlantic coast : 1504-1536 -- Jacques Cartier's voyages : 1534-1543 -- Spanish, French, and English failures : mid-16th century -- Europeans colonize and contest northeastern America : early 17th century -- The French lead the way : 1607-1635 -- Furs, friars, and French exploration : 1635-1673 -- La Salle's adventures and wartime misery : 1673-1715 -- Gaining knowledge-coming to blows : 1715-1756 -- Wartime and exploration : 1754-1783 -- In the footsteps of Mackenzie : 1783-1800 -- North America in 1800.