European Exploration and Trade Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What goods were Europeans primarily seeking from Asia during the Age of Exploration?

Precious stones and gems

Textiles and dyes

Spices and perfumes (correct)

Gold and silver

Which group of merchants primarily controlled trade routes between Asia and Europe before the Age of Exploration?

Muslim and Italian merchants (correct)

Dutch and English merchants

Greek and Egyptian merchants

Spanish and Portuguese merchants

What was a key technological advancement in navigation that originated in China and was adopted by European sailors?

The sextant

The compass (correct)

The astrolabe

The chronometer

What was the primary advantage of the caravel ship design during the Age of Exploration?

High speed and maneuverability (A) Signup and view all the answers

Besides wealth, what was another significant motivation for European exploration during this period?

Spreading Christianity (D) Signup and view all the answers

What factor contributed to the desire of Europeans to find new trade routes to Asia?

The high prices charged by the existing trade system (A) Signup and view all the answers

How did the Renaissance influence the Age of Exploration?

It promoted a spirit of discovery and innovation (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was the impact of Marco Polo’s writings on European exploration?

They inspired many with tales of exotic lands and peoples (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these advancements was NOT essential in the initial phase of European maritime exploration?

The invention of the printing press. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary objective of Prince Henry the Navigator’s Navigation Court?

To discover a water route around Africa to India. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which explorer's voyage is known for establishing the first circumnavigation of the Earth?

Ferdinand Magellan. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the Treaty of Tordesillas?

It divided newly discovered territories between Portugal and Spain. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the immediate result of Christopher Columbus's voyages for the Spanish?

They initially believed he had found a new route to India. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these statements BEST summarizes the impact of the lateen sail?

It was efficient in using cross winds. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following motives was NOT a primary driver for European exploration?

The desire for resources for industrialization. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which Portuguese explorer is credited with being the first to sail around the southern tip of Africa?

Bartolomeu Dias. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was a primary motive for European nations to seek a sea route to Asia?

To secure trade routes for valuable goods like spices (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which agreement divided the newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal?

The Treaty of Tordesillas (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was a key advantage that helped the Spanish conquistadors conquer the Aztecs?

Superior weapons technology including firearms and metal armor (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the Columbian Exchange?

The global exchange of people, plants, animals, ideas, and technology (B) Signup and view all the answers

Besides the Spanish, which European nation sent explorers to the coast of Canada?

The English (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the 'Northwest Passage' that explorers sought?

A sea route passing through or around North America to Asia (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was a major economic impact of European exploration in Europe from 1500 to 1600?

An increase in global commerce and wealth (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which explorer is credited with the second circumnavigation of the globe?

Francis Drake (A) Signup and view all the answers

What primary factor contributed to the Dutch seeking to colonize new lands despite their prosperity?

Limited space for farming and manufacturing in their homeland. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which region was NOT a target of Dutch colonization efforts according to the provided text?

South East Asia (C) Signup and view all the answers

Besides wealth and power, what was another major motivation for the Dutch colonial expansion according to the text?

To dismantle Portuguese trade dominance. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following entities or groups did NOT actively support Dutch colonial expansion?

The French Monarchy (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the economic situation in the Netherlands in the late 1500s, right before the start of their colonial expansion.

They had one of the highest standards of living in Europe. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the primary economic goal of mercantilism?

Accumulating gold and silver to increase national power. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary effect of European colonization on the indigenous Taino population of the Caribbean?

The Taino society was decimated by disease and warfare. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following commodities was NOT a European export to the Americas?

Potatoes (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was the main purpose of the colonies in the mercantilist system?

To provide raw materials to and purchase goods from the mother country. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How did the concept of a 'favorable balance of trade' contribute to the economic policies of mercantilism?

It incentivized selling more and buying less to accumulate wealth. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was a key outcome of the shift from gold mining to sugarcane production in the Caribbean?

The mass importation of enslaved people through the slave trade. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the 'Triangular Trade'?

An exchange network linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas, focused on specific goods. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is the best example of a raw material in the context of the triangular trade?

Cotton (B) Signup and view all the answers

Besides gold and silver, what other resources were seen as vital under mercantilism for a nation's wealth?

Colonial territories, and the resources they contained (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the most accurate description of how mercantilism contributed to competitive practices among European countries?

Led to intense competition for colonies and resources and increased tension (D) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Age of Exploration

Europeans desired Asian goods, particularly spices, for food preservation, medicine, and perfumes.
Muslim and Italian merchants controlled Asian-European trade routes in the 1400s.
Europeans sought direct trade routes to Asia to increase wealth.
Renaissance spirit of discovery and innovation spurred exploration.
Explorers sought wealth, expensive luxury goods, and fame.
Some sought to spread their faith or were simply curious.
Advancements in navigation included the compass and astrolabe.
Improved shipbuilding technology (caravel) made exploration easier (larger cargo, heavier waves).
Motives for exploration included gold (wealth), god (religion), and glory (adventure).
Chinese rudder and triangular lateen sails facilitated exploration.
Knowledge of winds and currents improved navigation.

Explorers from Portugal and Spain

Portugal was the first country to engage in large-scale voyages of exploration.
Prince Henry the Navigator supported explorers.
Early 1400s, navigation routes around Africa to India were established (Vasco da Gama).
1488, Bartolomeu Dias sailed around southern tip of Africa.
Portugal established trading centers and became a powerful European nation.
Christopher Columbus (1492) believed he had found a new route to Asia, but landed in the Americas.
1502, Amerigo Vespucci explored the coast of South America.
1513, Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and reached the Pacific Ocean.
1519, Ferdinand Magellan's expedition circumnavigated the globe.

Voyages to the Americas

Portugal was the first successful European explorer.
Christopher Columbus landed in Hispañola (Caribbean) in 1492.
Other explorers included Ferdinand Magellan, John Cabot, Francisco Pizarro, and Vasco de Gama.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

Established a line of demarcation to divide newly discovered territories between Spain and Portugal.
Lands west of the line belonged to Spain, and east to Portugal.

Explorers from the Rest of Europe

England, France, and the Netherlands joined the exploration efforts by the early 1500s in the Northern parts of the Americas.
John Cabot (England) explored the coast of North America (Canada).
Sir Francis Drake (England) circumnavigated the globe (second man).
Jacques Cartier (France) explored the St. Lawrence River.
Henry Hudson (England) explored the Northwest Passage.

Effects of European Exploration

The Columbian Exchange is the exchange of people, plants, animals, ideas, and technology that began with Columbus' voyage.
Economic changes in Europe included the rise of capitalism and mercantilism.

The Columbian Exchange

Exchange of goods, ideas, and diseases between the Old World (Europe, Africa, and Asia) and the New World (Americas).
Items from Americas to Europe, Africa, and Asia include: silver, gold, hides, dyes, tobacco, cotton, beans, peanut, squash, pumpkin, turkey, vanilla.
Items from Europe, Africa, and Asia to Americas include: wheat, rice, barley, oats, coffee, banana, onion, grape (wine), dandelion, citrus fruits, sugar cane, cattle, horse, goat, sheep, chicken, cat, dog, goose, rabbit, pig, honey bee, smallpox, influenza, malaria, measles, hoe, scissors.

Economic Impact and Competition

Increased trade with colonies spurred European capitalism and investment.
Mercantilism was a dominant economic policy in the 17th century.
Countries aimed to accumulate precious metals or commodities (gold, silver), and control favorable balances of trade.
Mother countries profited from their colonies.

From Mining to Plantation Agriculture

Taino people rebelled against Spanish exploitation, but were outgunned by Spanish military technology.
Smallpox epidemics decimated the Taino population.
Limited gold production led to an interest in exploiting Caribbean sugarcane production, leading to the slave trade.

The Triangular Trade

Marked the emergence of a new world economy.
Trade network between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
Manufactured goods from Europe to Africa (exchanged for slaves)
Slaves from Africa to Americas (exchanged for raw materials)
Raw materials from the Americas to Europe.

Mercantilism

European nations developed a new economic policy to increase wealth in the 1500s.
National strength depended on its wealth, with this wealth measured by gold and silver holdings (favorable balance of trade).
Mercantilists viewed wealth as a fixed amount meaning competition existed because of the fixed amount of wealth.
Mercantilism led to intense competition. Colonial empires were supported for acquiring raw materials.

The Dutch

The Dutch emerged with high standards of living in the late 1500s due to their prosperous trade.
They gained a large amount of wealth and power by the late 1500's.
They sought new lands for colonizing for more wealth and gaining more power, breaking Portuguese trade monopolies.
The Dutch East India Company and Dutch West India Company supported Dutch efforts.

Review Questions (Page 30)

The questions cover mercantilism, European responses to the Treaty of Tordesillas, competition for the New World, motives of the Dutch, the benefits of initial contact to Europeans, and impact on native populations.

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Description

This quiz explores the key aspects of European exploration during the Age of Exploration, including trade goods, technological advancements, and significant motivations behind exploration. Test your knowledge on historical figures and their contributions to maritime exploration in this fascinating era.