America was discovered at the very beginning of Tudor times. It was an era in which explorers went in search of new lands to settle and to trade with. Tudor exploration began in the 15th century and went on for over 200 years. During the reign of Elizabeth I, many sailors went in search of unknown lands and European knowledge of the rest of the world increased significantly. By the end of the Tudor period five of the seven continents had been discovered, though Australia was not found until the mid 1600s and Antarctica the early 1800s.