When you think of the 10 new world, the first names that spring to mind are usually the big‑lettered heroes whose statues dominate town squares. Yet, behind many of those celebrated figures were brothers who quietly did the heavy lifting, only to be left in the shadow of a more famous sibling. Below we count down ten intrepid explorers whose own stories deserve a standing ovation.
Why the 10 new world Explorers Matter
Each of these men braved the Atlantic, crossed unknown rivers, or claimed distant coasts, only to have history hand the spotlight to a brother with a flashier résumé. Their contributions, however, were no less vital to the expansion of European influence in the Americas.
10 Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Sir Humphrey Gilbert was a man whose ambition could be summed up in one phrase: annoy the Spanish. This fiery desire landed him in Queen Elizabeth I’s good graces, as documented in the 1577 memorandum titled “How Her Majesty May Annoy the King of Spain.” His plan was to launch a New World colony that would double as a base for striking at Spanish fleets. The crown agreed, granting him a patent in 1578 to explore and settle North America. Gilbert set sail, and by 1583 he boldly announced his claim to unsuspecting fishermen along Newfoundland’s coast. Tragically, his return voyage ended in disaster when his ship sank, taking the ambitious explorer to his watery grave.
Meanwhile, his half‑brother Sir Walter Raleigh—renowned for introducing potatoes and tobacco to England and a favorite of the queen—picked up the patent and turned it into the infamous Roanoke colony. Though Roanoke ultimately failed, it laid the groundwork for Jamestown in 1607. Had Humphrey survived, the capital of North Carolina might have been Gilbert instead of Raleigh.
9 Bartholomew Columbus
Bartholomew Columbus, the brother of the famed Christopher Columbus, entered the scene with a less glamorous start. He journeyed to England seeking King Henry VII’s backing for the Columbus expedition, only to be seized by pirates before he could return to Spain. By the time he made it back, his brother had already secured Spanish royal support and set sail on his historic voyage.
Undeterred, Bartholomew eventually caught up with Christopher across the Atlantic and carved out a respectable career: he was appointed governor of Española, helped found Santo Domingo, quelled rebellions and mutinies, and provided steadfast assistance to his brother’s later voyages. Yet, despite these achievements, his name never rose to the same legendary stature as Christopher’s.
8 Francisco Martin Pinzon
Francisco Martin Pinzón served as the pilot of the Pinta, one of the three ships that Christopher Columbus commanded on his inaugural New World voyage. While he kept the vessel well‑supplied and navigated the treacherous Atlantic, Columbus’s logs scarcely mention him, focusing instead on his brother, Martín Alonso Pinzón, who captained the ship. Martín enjoys a statue in Palos de la Frontera; Francisco does not.
Adding to his anonymity, Francisco was also eclipsed by another sibling, Vicente Yáñez, who explored Brazil’s northeastern coast in 1500 and discovered the Amazon’s mouth. Though Francisco accompanied Vicente on that expedition, the accolades again fell on his brothers, each commemorated with monuments, while Francisco remains a footnote.
7 Gonzalo Pizarro
In 1544 Gonzalo Pizarro earned the title of governor and captain‑general of Peru, effectively ruling the entire western coast of South America for four years. He fought fierce battles against Spanish royal forces in 1546 and 1548 to retain his authority. Yet, despite his tenacity, his brother Francisco—celebrated as the conqueror of the Inca Empire—overshadowed him. Francisco secured Emperor Charles V’s favor, received a coat of arms, and was appointed governor‑general of New Castile in 1529, cementing his place in history.
Gonzalo’s own feats include wresting control of Lima from the viceroy and spearheading eastward expeditions into uncharted territories. Nevertheless, the grand narrative of the Inca conquest forever belongs to Francisco, who founded the city of Lima in 1535 and remains the star of the Pizarro saga.
6 Hernando Pizarro
While Francisco Pizarro dominates the story of the Peruvian conquest, his brother Hernando played a crucial supporting role. As Francisco’s trusted lieutenant, Hernando helped secure the Spanish crown’s approval for the conquest, negotiated licenses, and obtained tax exemptions that made the campaign possible. He also defended Cuzco during the 1536‑37 siege, proving his military mettle.
Even though Hernando’s diplomatic and defensive contributions were vital, the public memory favors his brother. Francisco enjoys a prominent statue in Lima and is routinely mentioned alongside Hernán Cortés as one of the most famous Spanish conquerors, whereas Hernando is remembered mainly as a savvy courtier who knew how to charm the imperial bureaucracy.
5 Jorge De Alvarado
Jorge de Alvarado was a key figure in the Spanish colonization of Guatemala. Beginning in 1527, his three‑year campaign solidified Spanish control, and he even financed the effort himself, founding the city of Santiago and granting lands to encourage settlement. He petitioned for the governorship of Guatemala, but the honor ultimately went to his brother Pedro.
Pedro’s earlier 1524 expedition left Guatemala in a state of devastation, and by the time he departed in 1526, the colony was barely established. Jorge had to pick up the pieces and restore order, yet Pedro’s reputation—bolstered by his ruthless tactics during the Aztec conquest—earned him lasting fame, while Jorge’s contributions remain largely unsung.
4 Adrien Jolliet
Adrien Jolliet was a French explorer who, in the 17th century, became the first European to chart parts of the Great Lakes region, including the densely forested shores of Grosse Pointe. Commissioned to search for copper near Lake Superior, he found none—an unsurprising result given the area’s geology—but his expedition introduced French missionaries to local tribes, prompting a wave of northern evangelization.
Despite his achievements, Adrien’s fame was eclipsed by his brother Louis, who, alongside Father Jacques Marquette, became the first European pair to navigate the Mississippi River. Louis claimed the territory for France, naming it Louisiana after the king, and cities across Illinois, Montana, and Quebec now bear his name. Had Adrien discovered copper, his legacy might have rivaled Louis’s.
3 Pero Lopes De Sousa
In 1530, Portuguese King John III tasked a fleet with exploring Brazil’s southern coast, expelling French rivals, and establishing a colony. Among the commanders was Pero Lopes de Sousa, who secured victories against French forces and ventured toward the Rio de la Plata and Paraná—Spanish‑held waters—in search of legendary riches. For his service, he received captaincies over two of Brazil’s fifteen newly created divisions.
Yet his brother Martim Afonso de Sousa commanded the primary colonizing expedition, founding the first permanent Portuguese settlements at São Vicente and Piratininga (now São Paulo). Martim later became governor‑general of the Portuguese East Indies, while Pero spent his later years overseeing his brother’s territories. His untimely death near Madagascar in 1539 further dimmed his historical footprint.
2 Lewis Kirke
In the early 1600s, the scramble for North America intensified. In 1628, Lewis (sometimes recorded as Louis) Kirke captained a vessel that sailed to present‑day Canada, participating in the capture of eighteen French supply ships and forcing the surrender of Quebec in 1629. The English flag flew over the settlement, and Lewis governed the colony for three years, securing a lucrative fur‑trade monopoly.
Despite these accomplishments, his elder brother David Kirke stole the limelight. David was knighted for the Quebec victory in 1633 and later received a charter to govern Newfoundland in 1637. Lewis’s contributions, though significant, were forever outshone by David’s higher‑profile rewards.
1 Thorvald Eriksson
Nearly five centuries before Columbus, Viking adventurers set foot on North America. In 1006, Thorvald Eriksson led a crew of thirty men to the continent, naming it Vinland for its abundant vines and grapes. He wintered on what is now Cape Cod before resuming summer explorations.
Unfortunately for Thorvald, he was merely retracing the path of his older brother Leif Eriksson, who had arrived three years earlier and is widely celebrated as the first European to set foot on North America. Leif enjoys an annual holiday (Leif Eriksson Day on October 9), statues in places like the Minnesota State Capitol, and even a postage stamp. Thorvald’s claim to fame rests on the tragic note that he became the first European killed in North America, felled by an arrow from a Native American.