Age of Early European Exploration Quiz

Christopher Columbus and the Age of Exploration

• Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451 and died in Valladolid, Spain on May 20, 1506.
• He learned to sail in Lisbon, Portugal, and sailed for Spain.
• He was given the title of "Admiral of the Sea" by the monarch of Spain.
• He had four voyages between 1492 and 1506.

The First Voyage (1492-1493)

• Sponsored by Spain, with monarchs Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand.
• Crew consisted of criminals and convicts.
• Ships: Santa Maria, Pinta, and Nina.
• Port of departure: Port of Palos.
• Stopped for supplies in the Canary Islands.
• 72 days at sea before spotting land.
• Captains: Christopher Columbus (Santa Maria), Martin Pizon (Pinta), and Vicente Pinzon (Nina).
• Rodrigo de Triana was the first to spot land.
• First island visited: San Salvador (named by Columbus), also known as Guanahani (Taino name) and Watling Island (part of present-day Bahamas).
• Met Cacique Guacanagari on the island of San Salvador.

Hispaniola and the Tainos

• The first settlement was established using the board from the shipwrecked Santa Maria.
• Columbus and his men enslaved the Tainos, forcing them to dig for gold.
• They had to turn over all gold and precious stones found to the Europeans.
• The Tainos were forced to work for food and were mistreated by the Europeans.

The Return of Columbus

• Columbus departed Hispaniola on the Nina, reunited with the Pinta, and traveled back to Spain.
• He left 39 men from his crew to continue forcing the Tainos to dig for gold.
• The ships encountered a hurricane, and the Pinta returned to Spain separately.
• The Nina sought refuge in the Azores Islands, a Portuguese colony.

Navigation and Exploration Tools

• A compass is a tool used for navigation, invented by the Chinese during the Han Dynasty (2nd century BCE).
• The compass helped sailors determine their direction, making voyages more efficient and safer.
• A printing press is a mechanical device used to print many copies of text on a medium such as paper or cloth, invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1436.
• The printing press contributed to the Age of Exploration by speeding up the exchange of information and enabling the printing of maps.

Weapons and Early European Exploration

• Weapons were invented by the Chinese around 1000 CE.
• Weapons helped early European explorers by providing protection, intimidating and controlling indigenous peoples, aiding in conquest and colonization, hunting for food, and using force as a negotiating tool.

Reasons for Early European Exploration

• Curiosity: Europeans were curious about different lands, animals, and goods.
• National pride: Explorers wanted to gain more land for their home country.
• Better trading routes: Explorers looked for faster, easier, and safer ways to travel to places where they traded.

Later Voyages of Columbus

• Second voyage (1493-1494): Aimed to colonize the countries Columbus found.
• Third voyage (1498-1500): Explored Trinidad, Granada, Margarita, and the coastline of Venezuela.

Note: The notes are organized by topic, with key facts and events summarized in concise bullet points. Each point is independent and provides relevant context.