European Exploration
Name one reason Europeans explored the Americas.
To find trade routes, wealth, resources, or land.
Which European country established colonies in Mexico and the Southwest?
Spain
Name one important job in the New England Colonies.
Fishing, shipbuilding, or trading.
Which colonial region was called the 'breadbasket'?
The Middle Colonies.
What is physical geography?
Natural features such as rivers, mountains, soil, and climate.
What tool helped sailors find directions at sea?
A compass.
What valuable resource did French traders seek in North America?
Beaver fur.
Why did the pilgrims go to New England?
to practice their religion freely.
Name one important cash crop grown in the Southern Colonies.
Cotton, Tobacco, rice, or indigo.
How did the French treat Native Americans compared to other Europeans?
They were treated more fairly by the French.
Why were bodies of water useful to European explorers?
They helped explorers travel and trade.
Why did the French build settlements near rivers such as the St. Lawrence?
Rivers helped with travel and the fur trade.
What did they accuse people of being in the New England colonies?
witches
What geographic conditions helped Southern plantations grow cash crops?
Warm weather, a long growing season, and fertile land.
How could a river help a colonial town grow?
It provided water and transportation and helped people move goods.
Name two goals European countries had when exploring the Americas.
Examples: gaining wealth, claiming land, finding trade routes, spreading Christianity.
Name two reasons Spain colonized parts of the Americas.
To gain wealth, claim land, and spread Christianity.
What was the name of the agreement the Pilgrims made on the Mayflower
The Mayflower Compact
Why were the Middle Colonies good for growing grain?
They had fertile soil and a climate suitable for farming.
Name two ways European colonization affected Native Americans.
Examples: land loss, disease, conflict, and changes to traditional ways of life.
Explain how geography influenced where European explorers traveled.
Oceans allowed travel between continents, while coastlines and rivers helped explorers reach and move through new areas
Give one difference between French and Spanish colonization in North America.
The French focused heavily on the fur trade, while the Spanish sought wealth, claimed land, and spread Christianity.
Explain how New England's geography influenced the jobs people did.
The coastline and harbors supported fishing, shipbuilding, and trade, while rocky soil made large-scale farming harder.
Compare how geography influenced farming in the Middle and Southern Colonies.
The Middle Colonies grew large amounts of grain in fertile soil. The warm climate and long growing season in the Southern Colonies supported cash crops such as tobacco and rice.
A colony has fertile soil, a river, and a natural harbor. Explain two ways these features could help the colony
Fertile soil supports farming; the river helps transport goods and provides water; the harbor supports shipping and trade.