European Explorers and Missions Review

Europeans explorers of Texas were strongly motivated by-

• the quest to find a new political capitol of Spain

• a need to find the mouth of the Mississippi River

• the desire to spread the practice of enslaving people

• an intense competition between nations to claim land and find gold.

Europeans explored The New World for all of the following reasons EXCEPT to—

• seek riches

• spread illness

• seek new lands

• spread religion

After hearing stories about the Seven Cities of Cibola, which of the following explorers was one of the first to travel across Northern Texas?

• Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

• Francisco Vásquez de Coronado

• Christopher Columbus

• René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle

Which explorer first introduced Catholicism to Texas through his interactions with the Native Americans he encountered on his travels?

• Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

• René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle

• Francisco Vásquez de Coronado

• Christopher Columbus

This French explorer claimed part of Texas for his country. He helped establish Fort St. Louis in Texas in 1685.

Who was this explorer?

• Robert La Salle

• Christopher Columbus

• Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

• Francisco Vazquez de Coronado

The MAIN reason La Salle traveled to North America was to —

• find gold for Spain

• expand the fur trade for the French Empire

• fight the Spanish

• spread Christianity

The French attempted to settle along the mouth of the Mississippi River and further west along the coast of Texas because it would allow them to —

• establish missions in highly-populated areas.

• block the only route back to Spain.

• control trade in the Gulf of Mexico.

• find the oil that they were seeking.

Which of the following best explains the impact of René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle on the settlement of Texas?

• After claiming the land that is now called Louisiana and sailing back to France, he was sent back to the New World to establish a colony in the area. His ship sailed off course during the journey and wound up in Texas, where he established a colony and claimed the land for the French.

• During his first voyage to the New World, he established numerous missions in Texas. His success encouraged the King of France to send more missionaries to the area.

• During his first voyage to the New World, he established a friendly relationship with the Karankawa tribe and became the first French explorer to trade with Native Americans. The Karankawa made him their chief.

• After claiming the land that is now called Mexico and sailing back to France, he was sent back to the New World to gather as much gold as he could. He noticed the coast of Texas as his ship sailed further north in the Gulf, so he built a fort and began to search for more gold.

Which of the following first caused Spain to become more serious about settling Texas, rather than simply exploring it?

• The discovery of Palo Duro Canyon by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado

• The building of Fort St. Louis by Robert la Salle

• The imprisonment of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca at the hands of Native Americans

• The success of the first mission built by Alonso de León in southern Texas

Which of the following best explains Spain's motivation for becoming more serious about colonizing Texas?

• they heard that there was still gold in Texas that had not been claimed

• they wanted to be the first to establish trade with the Native Americans

• they wanted to keep France from claiming even more land than they already had.

• they were primarily trying to find natural resources to bring back home