European Explorers
What was one of the main reasons European countries began exploring America?
To find new ways to trade with Asia
Where did the Vikings come from before exploring North America?
Iceland and Greenland
Which country sponsored Christopher Columbus's voyages?
Spain
What was one of the main reasons Spain wanted to explore America?
Wealth, spread of religious beliefs, and to find riches
Which explorer conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico?
Hernan Cortes
What did explorers create as they traveled through America?
Maps showing what they knew about the land
Why did the Vikings likely leave North America?
Cold climate and not enough manpower to sustain a colony
What was Christopher Columbus trying to find when he sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean?
A new trade route to Asia
What are three things that the Spanish brought to America that changed the continent?
Their language, religion, and customs, new species of plants and animals, and diseases
Which conquistador conquered the Inca Empire in Peru?
Francisco Pizarro
What was a common inaccuracy found on the early maps of America?
The inclusion of made up places
What were the Vikings looking for when they sailed to North America?
They were looking for resources, such as wood
What did Columbus name the first island he reached in the Bahamas?
San Salvador
What were the Spanish explorers who sought to conquer new lands in the Americas called?
Conquistadors
What were the main goals of the Spanish conquistadors when they sailed to the Americas?
Claim territories and spread their religious beliefs
Who was Leif Ericson's father?
Erik the Red
What year did they sail to North America?
Around the year 1000
Why did Columbus call the people he met in the Americas 'Indians'?
He thought he had reached India
What did Leif Ericson call the land he found in North America?
Vinland
What discovery in 1960 provided evidence of Vikings in North America?
Archaeological discoveries at L’Anse aux Meadows