Christopher Columbus
Vocabulary
Explorers
Voyages and Expeditions
Essay Questions
100
What group of Europeans reached North America about 500 years before Columbus?
the Vikings
100
New technology, such as the compass and the astrolabe, improved navigation in the late 1400s. What does the word technology mean in the sentence above?
scientific knowledge and tools
100
Who was the leader of the first expedition to sail around the world?
Ferdinand Magellan
100
What did Verrazano, Cartier, and Hudson search for in North America?
the Fountain of Youth
100
What were three problems that early European explorers faced?
They needed better maps and new technology for long voyages. They needed a lot of money to pay the costs of their expeditions. They faced great dangers in exploring unknown seas and lands.
200
Which European nation sponsored Columbus's expedition across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492?
Spain
200
A trip taken with a goal of exploring.
expedition
200
Which empire did the army of Hernando Cortes conquer in Mexico?
the Aztec
200
What happened during Hudson's last voyage?
His crew mutinied and set him adrift at sea.
200
What was Christopher Columbus's belief about the lands he reached in 1492? What are two facts that later proved that his belief was incorrect?
He thought that the lands he had reached were Asia. Amerigo Vespucci did not see lands that matched Marco Polo's descriptions of Asia. Balboa's crew reached the Pacific Ocean, proving that Amerigo Vespucci was right about hte unknown continent.
300
What was the main reason Columbus sailed west from Europe?
to find a more direct route to Asia
300
An agreement between countries.
Treaty
300
What was the elevation of the land where Coronado crossed the Rio Grande? A. 0-665 ft B. 655-1,640 ft C. 1,640-6,560 D. 6,560-13,120 ft
D. 6,560-13,120 ft
300
Who explored and claimed for Holland much of what is now the state of New York and surrounding areas?
Henry Hudson
300
Why did Columbus have to wait until after the Reconquista to start his voyage?
Columbus needed the support fro King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to pay for the costs of his voyage. During the Reconquista, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were too busy fighting a war to support Columbus.
400
How many trips did Columbus take to the Americas in his lifetime?
4
400
Spanish soliders or "conquerors"
conquistador
400
Which Spanish conquistador took control of the Inca Empire in Peru?
Francisco Pizarro
400
Who explored and claimed for Spain much of what is now the southwestern United States?
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
400
What were some of the costs and benefits of expedition for explorers and their sponsors?
Costs = money for ships, crew, and supplies. Ships could sink or an explorer might not find anything of value. Benefits = finding gold, furs, and other valuable resources; claiming new land; gaining power; and spreading Christianity.
500
Who explored and claimed for Spain much of the southern half of what is now the United States? (Not Columbus)
Hernando de Soto
500
Rebelled
mutiny
500
Who explored and claimed for Spain what is now the state of Florida?
Juan Ponce de Leon
500
Who explored the land that connects the Americas and became the first European explorer to reach the Pacific Ocean?
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
500
Why did so many Europeans want to find the Northwest Passage?
Many Europeans believed the Northwest Passage would be a shortcut to Asia. They wanted to find it so that they could set up trade routes that would bring them wealth and power.
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