15 Questions
What was the primary motivation for European countries and monarchs to explore during the Age of Exploration?
To seek wealth and material gain
What was Christopher Columbus' original goal when he set sail in 1492?
To find a new route to India and China
Why did Christopher Columbus underestimate the distance to India and China?
He miscalculated the Earth's circumference
What did Christopher Columbus claim for Spain during his voyages?
The lands of Cuba, Antigua, Hispaniola, and the Bahamas
What was the impact of Christopher Columbus' voyages on the Age of Exploration?
It marked the beginning of the Age of Exploration
What was the attitude of Christian Europe towards the indigenous peoples of the New World?
They saw them as inferior and in need of conversion
What does the quote by Castillo reveal about the motives of explorers during the Age of Exploration?
They were motivated by a desire to spread Christianity and seek wealth
What was the name of the Portuguese explorer who became the first European to reach Brazil in 1500?
Pedro Alvares Cabral
What was the name of the Strait that Ferdinand Magellan and his crew navigated to reach the Pacific Ocean?
Straits of Cape Horn
Who was the Spanish explorer who conquered the Aztec Empire of Mexico in the early 16th century?
Hernan Cortes
What was the name of the Spanish explorer who founded the first North American settlement in Florida in 1565?
Pedro Menendez de Aviles
What was the name of the Pacific Ocean that Vasco Nunez de Balboa claimed for Spain in 1513?
The Mar del Sur
Why did the Spanish disregard ancient cultures in the newly conquered lands in the Americas?
To force conversions to Christianity and gather gold for the crown
What was the primary motivation for European exploration and conquest of the Americas during the 16th century?
To amass wealth and power through the conquest of new lands
What was the primary resource that North America was found to offer, contrary to initial expectations?
Rich vegetation and fertile ground
Study Notes
Age of Exploration
- Christopher Columbus' voyages marked the beginning of the Age of Exploration, sparking a race for the Americas between Spain and Portugal.
Motives for Exploration
- European countries sought wealth, while individual explorers sought fame and fortune.
- A major motive was to spread Christianity to the "lost savages" of the New World.
- Castillo, a 16th-century explorer, summed up the motives: "To serve God, to give light to those who were in darkness and to grow rich as all men desire to do."
Christopher Columbus
- Born in Italy, Columbus sailed under the Spanish flag of Ferdinand and Isabella.
- He sought a faster trade route to India and China, believing the Earth's circumference was smaller than estimated.
- Columbus' miscalculations led him to the Americas, where he claimed the lands of Cuba, Antigua, Hispaniola, and the Bahamas for Spain.
Portuguese Exploration
- Pedro Alvares Cabral became the first European to reach Brazil in 1500, establishing a vast and profitable Portuguese colony.
- Portugal's colony in Brazil eventually became larger than Portugal itself.
Spanish Exploration
- Vasco Nunez de Balboa became the first European to reach the Pacific Ocean in 1513, claiming the lands and waters for Spain.
- Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe in 1519-1522, although he died during the journey.
Conquest and Settlement
- Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec Empire of Mexico for Spain in around 1520, dealing a devastating blow to native populations.
- Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire of Peru in the 1530s, further expanding Spanish territory.
- Spain established the first North American settlement, St. Augustine in Florida, in 1565, founded by Pedro Menendez de Aviles.
Learn about Christopher Columbus and the reasons for European exploration, including the role of Spain and Portugal in the contest for the Americas.
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