Explorers & People
Who sailed west in 1492 hoping to reach Asia and is often credited with "discovering" the Americas (even though he didn't reach the mainland)?
Christopher Columbus
Which instrument, used to find direction (north, south, east, west), helped sailors navigate across the oceans?
Magnetic Compass
Name one reason Europeans wanted to find a sea route to Asia (pick one simple reason).
To trade spices or find a route to Asia
Coffee mostly came from which part of the world: the Old World (Europe/Asia) or the New World (Americas)?
Old World
What is the word that means "traveling all the way around the Earth"? Hint: Noun form of the word.
Circumnavigation
What explorer's first name was Amerigo and whose name was later used for the continents North and South America?
Amerigo Vespucci
What small, fast ship could carry supplies and water for long voyages and helped explorers travel far from Europe?
Caravel
The phrase that summed up many explorers' goals was "God, Gold, and ___."
Glory!
Potatoes originated in which place: the Old World or the New World?
New World
What was the ancient trade route that connected Europe and China called?
The Silk Road
Who led the expedition that completed the first circumnavigation (a trip all the way around the world), although he died before it finished?
Ferdinand Megellan
Which device allowed sailors to measure the angle between the horizon and a star or the sun to estimate latitude?
Astrolabe
Give one benefit of exploring.
Finding new land, new products, and wealth
Horses were brought by Europeans from which place: the Old World or the New World?
Old World
Why did Europeans choose to travel by water to reach Asia instead of overland?
To find a faster route to Asia and to trade for spices and other goods
Which Portuguese navigator first sailed around the southern tip of Africa to reach India, opening a sea route to Asia?
Vasco de Gama
What improvement in mapmaking helped sailors plan routes and know where they were going?
Cartography/Better Mapmaking
What was a negative effect of European arrival on Indigenous peoples caused by contact and travel?
Spread of diseases to Indigenous peoples
Name one food that traveled from the Americas to Europe because of the Columbian Exchange.
What was one reason traveling by sea could be better than using the Silk Road?
Faster travel time and more efficient trade
Which explorer attempted to find a northwest passage to Asia and has a river and bay in North America named after him?
Henry Hudson
Why were navigation tools important for long ocean voyages?
Navigation tools helped sailors know direction and location so they could travel safely across oceans.
After the Spanish conquered the Aztecs and Incas, what did many conquistadors hope to find in lands north of Mexico?
They hoped to find wealth, especially gold and silver.
Give one example of a negative effect of the Columbian Exchange for Indigenous peoples.
Diseases introduced by Europeans killed many Indigenous people, such as smallpox, measles, and malaria.
What was the "Great Dying"?
The Great Dying was the huge loss of life among Indigenous peoples in the Americas caused by diseases brought by Europeans.