Explorers & Voyages
Who sailed for Spain and reached the Caribbean in 1492?
Christopher Columbus
What term describes the transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old World and New World?
The Columbian Exchange
What English colony was founded in 1607 and is considered the first permanent settlement?
Jamestown
What year was the first Thanksgiving feast celebrated?
1621
What bird did Benjamin Franklin jokingly suggest should America's national bird be instead of the eagle?
The turkey
What ocean did explorers cross to reach the "New World"?
The Atlantic Ocean
Name one food that came from the Americas to Europe.
Corn, potatoes, tomatoes, chocolate, etc.
What ship brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth?
The Mayflower
What Native nation celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims?
The Wampanoag
True or False: Wild turkeys can actually fly.
True
What Portuguese explorer sailed around Africa to reach Asia?
Vasco da Gama
What deadly effect did European contact have on Native populations?
Spread of diseases (smallpox) that caused massive population decline.
What group taught the Pilgrims how to plant crops like corn?
The Wampanoag Tribe
What event were the Pilgrims celebrating at the first Thanksgiving?
A successful harvest
What famous parade happens every Thanksgiving morning in New York City?
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Which explorer's crew became the first to sail around the world?
Ferdinand Magellan
What European country first settled in present-day Mexico and South America?
Spain
What document created self-government for the Pilgrims in 1620?
The Mayflower Compact
Which U.S. president made Thanksgiving a national holiday?
Abraham Lincoln
In colonial times, what activity might people have done for fun after harvest season?
Games, dancing, storytelling, fairs, or contests (any correct answer)
What was the main reason European countries sponsored ocean exploration?
To find new trade routes, spices, wealth, and expand empires.
What were explorers searching for when they wanted a water route through North America to Asia?
The Northwest Passage
Why is the Plymouth settlement important in U.S. history?
It became a model for self-government and early colonial life
Why do modern historians say the story of Thanksgiving is more complicated than textbooks make it seem?
Because it overlooks Native experiences and the impact of colonization
Name one food, besides turkey, that might have been eaten at a colonial harvest celebration.
corn, squash, beans, venison, berries (any correct answer)