Why Did Europeans Explore?
Why did European countries want new routes to Asia?
they wanted easier access to valuable goods
Who began the conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1519?
Hernán Cortés
Describe the Columbian Exchange.
plants, animals, people, and diseases moved between different parts of the world
Why did Spain establish colonies in the Americas?
gain resources and wealth
Name the four countries that completed for opportunities in the Americas.
Spain, Portugal, England, and France
Which was an important incentive for European exploration?
wealth and valuable resources
Which civilization did Francisco Pizarro conquer?
the Inca
What does immunity mean?
having the ability to fight something off, such as disease
What is a plantation?
large farm where crops are grown
What is the largest Portuguese colony in the Americas known as today?
Brazil
Christopher Columbus sailed west across which ocean?
the Atlantic
What was one advantage the Spanish had during their conquests?
European diseases weakened Indigenous populations
True or False: The Columbian Exchange was positive and successful for everyone in the Americas?
FALSE
What was an important purpose of Spanish missions?
to spread Christianity
Why were European countries fighting for land in the Americas?
they wanted wanted land, resources, trade, and greater power
In what year did Christopher Columbus sail the ocean blue?
1492
Cause: Europeans brought diseases such as smallpox to the Americas.
What was the effect?
the native peoples were not immune to these diseases, so many of them got sick and died
Name three animals that were brought to the Americas by the Europeans.
horses, pigs, and cattle
Why were enslaved Africans brought to Spanish colonies?
to perform forced labor
How did European exploration change the Americas?
☐ European exploration
☐ Columbus
☐ Spanish conquest
☐ Aztecs or Inca
☐ Columbian Exchange
☐ disease
☐ colonies
☐ missions
☐ enslaved Africans
☐ American Indians
Why were European rulers willing to fund exploration?
they knew explorers might return with valuable goods, new trade routes, or information about unknown lands
Describe TWO ways European conquest changed life for American Indian peoples.
1) Diseases spread and killed thousands of native peoples.
2) Indigenous people were forced from their homes. Many were killed or forced into slavery as well.
Name three foods that the Europeans discovered in the Americas.
potatoes, tomatoes, corn, cacao, and peppers
Which group was at the top of Spanish colonial society?
Peninsulares
What was the biggest problem and misunderstanding about European exploration?
Indigenous peoples were already living on these lands