European Exploration
What was one primary motivation for European exploration during the 1400s?
To find new trade routes to Asia
Which empire did Hernán Cortés conquer?
Aztec Empire
Which European country first dominated trade in the Indian Ocean?
Portugal
The Middle Passage refers to:
The journey of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic
What was the major impact of the Columbian Exchange on Europe?
It led to new crops and population growth
Which explorer was the first to sail around the Cape of Good Hope to reach India?
Vasco da Gama
What helped Spanish conquistadors defeat large Native American empires?
Horses, guns, and disease
Which statement best describes mercantilism?
A belief that a nation’s wealth was measured by its gold and silver
What role did African leaders play in the slave trade?
Some captured and sold rival groups to Europeans
Spain established what kind of class system in its colonies?
A strict class system based on race and birthplace
What was the purpose of the Line of Demarcation established by the Treaty of Tordesillas?
To divide land claims between Spain and Portugal
What was the major reason the Spanish were able to conquer the Aztec and Inca empires so quickly?
Superior weapons, alliances with native groups, and the spread of European diseases
What was the “putting-out system”?
Merchants gave raw materials to workers who made goods at home and sold them for profit
What was the impact of the slave trade on Africa?
It increased warfare and caused social instability
How was the Columbian Exchange both positive and negative?
It improved diets and economies but spread diseases and slavery
Who started a school for sailors in Portugal to train navigators and mapmakers?
Prince Henry the Navigator
Who defeated the Inca Empire in Peru?
Francisco Pizarro
How did mercantilists and capitalists differ in their views on government trade control?
Mercantilists wanted control; capitalists wanted free trade
What did Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography describe?
The brutal experience of the Middle Passage
The first permanent English colony in North America was:
Jamestown
What helped Europeans navigate more accurately during long voyages?
The compass and astrolabe
Who was Bartolomé de Las Casas, and what was he known for?
A priest who defended Native Americans and opposed their mistreatment
Why did European powers want colonies in the Americas?
For access to resources and new markets
True or False: The Middle Passage was known for humane conditions.
False – It was brutal and deadly
Which region became known as “New France”?
The Great Lakes region and Canada