Is there a keyboard shortcut to activate the external display port??

My Macbook pro recently took in moisture from the bottom, which fried my display. Through some testing, I have determined that the monitor is the only damage and the computer still works fine. When I connect an external display I can only see the standard wallpaper with no icons. So, I have a computer that I urgently need to access but can't see. Is there a keyboard shortcut to activate an external display?? Thanks for any suggestions.