Arriving in America
Who were the first Europeans to make it to the America's
The Vikings
Where was Columbus trying to sail to when he left Europe in 1492?
Asia (India or China are acceptable answers)
How long did it take to sail across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, assuming everything went fine?
(There is a range to this answer)
1 - 2 months
What was ship speed measured in (and still measured in today)?
Knots
If a person had a contract to just attack/raid the ships of a country that was sponsoring them, then they weren't called a pirate, they were called a . . .
Privateer
What two tools (1 object and 1 animal), did the Vikings use to help them navigate across the Atlantic Ocean?
The sunstone and ravens
What precious substance/valuable resource did Columbus often focus on obtaining more of during his explorations?
Gold
What were TWO ways that we studied in class that captains tried to keep their crew entertained, help them work, and happy?
Dice games and singing sea shanties
What navigation tool worked regardless of the weather?
The magnetic compass
Who were the TWO people in charge on a pirate ship that were elected?
The Captain and the Quartermaster
What was the name of the leader of the Vikings that arrived in America?
Leif Erikson
Why did Columbus think sailing West would work for reaching his destination of Asia?
Columbus thought the world was much smaller than it actually was and that sailing West to Asia would be faster (it wasn’t).
Why did ships sailing across oceans need to take all their food, fresh water, and supplies with them?
The crew did not know when they would be able to get any more of those resources. There weren’t spots to resupply in the middle of the ocean.
What is the process called where a person of calculates one's position, especially at sea, by estimating the direction and distance traveled rather than by using landmarks or astronomical observations?
Dead Reckoning
What were TWO of the features or responsibilities of being a pirate captain?
The captain was elected by the crew, and could be voted out as well
The captain was responsible for battle/strategy
The captain typically only got as much as a double share of treasure/plunder
Explain what the sunstone allowed Vikings to do.
It helped the Vikings locate the sun even on cloudy days to help them with celestial navigation.
What was the name of the Greek mathematician who proved that the world was round by using math and sticks in the ground?
Eratosthenes
What are the names of the TWO dice games and the FOUR sea shanties we've sung together in class?
1) Pig and Ship, Captain, Crew
2) My Mother Told Me, Leave Her Johnny Leave Her, Don't Forget Your Old Shipmate, Hoist the Colours.
What does knowing your latitude mean in terms of navigation?
It tells you how far North or South of the Equator you are.
What were THREE of the features or responsibilities of being a pirate quartermaster?
1) The Quartermaster was in charge of ship management
2) They had to make sure there was enough supplies
3) They were in charge of crew discipline and rules
4) There divided up the treasure fairly
5) They could veto the captain’s decisions
Explain how Vikings used ravens to help them navigate and find new lands as they sailed across oceans and seas.
They would keep ravens on the ship. They would release one raven, watch it fly up, and if there was no land nearby, it would return to the ship. If it flew in a specific direction, Vikings knew there was land that way (because ravens can’t land on water).
What were three cruel things Columbus and some of the Spanish did to the Native Americans or their land?
He claimed the land for Spain, and didn’t ask the natives
He kidnapped some people, enslaved some, and punished/killed others
He made them look for gold so they couldn’t tend their crops
1) What were ships' hulls made of?
2) What were ships' sails made of?
3) What did sailors mainly rely on to move their ships?
1) Wood
2) Canvas
3) The wind (blowing into the sails and pushing the boat)
What were THREE tools sailors used to figure out their latitude? You must arrange them in order from least to most sophisticated (Most "mid" to most "boujee/bougie")
1) Cross Staff
2) Quadrant
3) Astrolabe
What were the THREE strategies pirates used to try to surprise ships they wanted to plunder
1) They would fly false flags (the flags of the other ship)
2) They would drag objects behind them so their ship looked slow and/or clumsy
3) They would drape painted canvas over their cannons to hide how many they had