Vitus Bering Lexile 720

Vitus Bering Lexile 720 One important explorer to explore the coast of California in the 1700’s was Vitus Bering. In 1681, Vitus Bering was born in Denmark. When he was fourteen years old, he took a job working on a boat that sailed to India. At this point his life of sailing and exploring began. In 1703, Bering joined the Russian Navy. He later became a Russian citizen. In 1724, Bering led a Russian expedition to explore the eastern coast of Russia. During that trip, he made a crucial discovery. While sailing, he found a water route between Russia and present day Alaska. This discovery was so important that the strait was named after him. Today, it is known as the Bering Strait. Bering then led a second expedition to explore even further. His goal was to reach North America. In 1741, Bering's ship reached the coast of present–day Alaska. He explored the coast and the Aleutian Islands. Although Bering died before reaching home, his crew returned. They brought furs with them. The furs sparked great interest in Russia, leading to the Russian fur trade in North America. Vitus Bering was an important explorer for two main reasons. First, he discovered the Bering Strait. In the late1700’s and early 1800’s, Russian traders took Bering’s route and came to California from the north. This strait was a short-­‐
cut for many sailors. It saved them both time and money. The second reason he was important is due to the fact that he sparked great interest in Russia’s fur trade. Vitus Bering is an important piece of California’s history, after all a person must be important to have a strait named after him. 4 ELA Unit 3 Page 1