The Age of Exploration Quiz

The Age of Exploration

• This period saw major European powers—Spain, Portugal, France, England, and the Netherlands—actively exploring and claiming land in the Americas.
• Reports of wealth, specifically gold, prompted these expeditions.
• Expeditions varied in success, with some succeeding in establishing settlements and others failing.
• The exploration resulted in significant, often tragic change for indigenous peoples.

People You Should Know

• Moctezuma II: Ruler of the Aztec Empire at the time of Hernan Cortes' arrival. He was captured and eventually killed. His harsh rule contributed to the Aztec's eventual downfall.
• Leif Erikson: Early Norse explorer who is credited with leading voyages to North America, nearly 500 years before Columbus. His explorations were important in the European understanding of the Americas.
• Queen Isabella I of Spain: United Spain and supported Columbus's voyage to the Americas. She was motivated by wealth and power.
• Atahualpa: Emperor of the Inca Empire in South America. He was captured and killed by Francisco Pizarro. His demise signified the end of much of the Inca Empire.
• Francisco Pizarro: Spanish conquistador who captured and killed Atahualpa, leading to the downfall of the Inca Empire.

Why did the Spanish Explore the Americas?

• Europeans began making pilgrimages in the Middle Ages.
• Desire for trade and to acquire new goods (spices, silks, gems, etc.). particularly from China and the East Indies.
• Marco Polo's travels increased interest in Asia.
• Prince Henry of Portugal's explorations of the west coast of Africa paved the way for voyages across the Atlantic.

Technological Advances

• Compass: A magnetic device that points north; used by European explorers.
• Astrolabe: Helped determine latitude, crucial to navigation; learned from Arabic traders.
• Stern Rudder: A steering mechanism that allowed ships to be more maneuverable. Used by Chinese sailors, and later by European mariners.
• Printing Press: Allowed for the mass production of texts, disseminating knowledge related to exploration.
• Sextant & Chronometer: Tools to determine longitude, improving mapmaking and navigation to travel long distances over bodies of water.

A Sea Route to the Indies

• Late 1400s, Europeans wanted access to the riches of China and other Southeast Asian islands.
• Portuguese explorers like Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama found a route around the southern tip of Africa and across the Indian Ocean.
• Christopher Columbus sailed west, believing he could reach the East Indies.
• He landed in the Americas (Bahamas) in 1492.
• Columbus's voyages led to the exchange of plants, animals, and cultures, a process now called the Columbian Exchange.
• 1513 Vasco Núñez de Balboa became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.
• Ferdinand Magellan first circumnavigated the globe. His crew finished the voyage in 1522 (after his death).

The Columbian Exchange

• Columbus' arrival in 1492 facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and culture between Europe and the Americas.
• Items were traded in both directions.
• This led to the introduction of new foods, for example wheat, cattle, and horses to the Americas. Similarly, corn, potatoes, and tomatoes to Europe.
• Also the introduction of diseases (like smallpox and measles) devastated indigenous populations in the Americas, who had no resistance to these foreign diseases.

Spanish Exploration and Conquest

• 1515: Expansion of Spanish control over Caribbean islands.
• 1519: Hernan Cortés arrives in Mexico and conquers the Aztec Empire. Destruction of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital city, led to the start of Spanish rule.
• 1532-1533: Francisco Pizarro conquers the Inca Empire.
• Reasons for success often included more advanced weaponry, the use of gunpowder, and internal conflicts within the Aztec and Inca Empires.

New Spain Expands

• The Spanish explored parts of what is now the United States (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California). Their goals included finding wealth, particularly gold.
• Some expeditions led to the discovery of new areas, like the Grand Canyon.
• Spanish explorers, such as Coronado, de Soto, and Cabrillo, impacted the region. They established settlements such as St. Augustine.

The Search for a Northwest Passage

• European countries other than Spain wanted a shorter sea route to Asia.
• Explorers sought a water passage around North America.
• Key figure in early exploration of the North America Eastern seaboard was Giovanni da Verrazzano for France.
• Henry Hudson unsuccessfully searched for a northwest passage in 1609, explored present-day New York and realized the water was not suitable for travel for his goals.
• The attempts to find a Northwest Passage failed due to the presence of ice and obstacles.

New Netherland

• In 1621 the Dutch West India Company established a colony called New Netherland.
• The colony was located in present-day New York, along the Hudson River.
• Ongoing conflict between Dutch settlers and Native peoples led to violence and tension.
• The English took over the colony in 1664.

Was a Northwest Passage Ever Found?

• A route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean exists, but in the 1500s and 1600s, it was impractical due to ice.
• Modern advancements in sailing and technology allow use of the passage now.

Today's Northwest Passage

• Today, the Northwest Passage is navigable in the summer months due to warmer weather and reduced ice cover.

Why did Dutch settlers choose to settle in what is now New York state?

• They hoped to benefit from trade.
• They claimed the land due to Hudson's exploration.

The Founding of New France

• France sought to establish trade routes to Asia and/or discover riches.
• The primary explorations led to the beginning of settlement along the St Lawrence River.
• Key individuals in these early expeditions were Champlain and Cartier.
• French settlement was slower to grow and thrive than in other areas due to lack of easily found gold or a successful trade route.

The Lost English Colony

• 1580s: Sir Walter Raleigh attempts to settle Roanoke in modern-day North Carolina.
• The initial colony failed due to conflict with native peoples, food shortages, and the absence of needed resources.
• The disappearance of the colonists remains a mystery.

Test your knowledge of the Age of Exploration, a pivotal period when European powers searched for new lands and wealth. Learn about key figures such as Moctezuma II, Leif Erikson, and Queen Isabella I as you explore their roles in this transformative era. Discover the impacts these expeditions had on indigenous peoples and the course of history.