Chapter 2 Lesson 1: Why Did the Spanish Explore the Americas

Which evidence might best explain why traveling long distances was dangerous?

• “For weeks, the ships traveled across unknown waters.”

• "His voyage was completed in 1522 by his crew under the command of Juan Sebastián Elcano.”

• “Sometimes, goods from China came by sea, because the Chinese had made many advances in sailing.”

• “He did not know the North and South American continents would get in the way.”

“They hoped to make their countries rich by finding new trade routes that did not go through the Middle East. Important advances in navigation … made it possible.” What is the meaning of the term navigation?

• a country’s wealth

• a scientific advancement

• the science of guiding a boat

• the science of making trade routes

Why did European leaders begin to sponsor voyages of exploration?

• to find a source for silk other than China

• to find trade routes that did not go through Italy

• to establish trade routes along the west coast of Africa

• to find trade routes that did not go through the Middle East

European leaders begin to sponsor voyages of exploration to find trade routes that did not go through the Middle East. Which evidence from the text supports the blue sentence above?

• “Another person who encouraged Europeans to travel to new lands was Prince Henry of Portugal, whose sailors explored the west coast of Africa in the early 1400s.”

• “Trade with Asia usually moved along a route called the Silk Road. It was named for a product much in demand—Chinese silk.”

• “In 1453, the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). They cut off most European trade through the Middle East.”

• “Spain wished to become an even more powerful country after recapturing land it had lost to invading peoples from North Africa.”

What did the Protestant Reformation and Counter-Reformation have in common?

• Both ended the Age of Exploration.

• Both involved disagreements among members of the Roman Catholic Church.

• Both made heavy use of new technological advances.

• Both involved Spain attempting to recapture land it had previously lost.

How was Christopher Columbus an entrepreneur, or a person who starts a business and competes with others? Support your answer with details from the text.

Which explorer traveled the farthest west into the “New World”?

• Ferdinand Magellan

• Marco Polo

• Amerigo Vespucci

• Christopher Columbus

The explorer that traveled the farthest west into the "New World" was Ferdinand Magellan. Which evidence from the text supports the blue sentence above?

• “His impressions were recorded in a book now called The Travels of Marco Polo, which further stirred people’s imaginations.”

• “On his first voyage, Columbus sailed to several neighboring islands in addition to the Bahamas.”

• “The name Americas began to be used for these lands in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, who sailed one of Columbus’s routes in 1499.”

• “Another explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, named those waters the Pacific Ocean.”

Which evidence supports the inference that the more informed people became about exploration, the more they wanted to explore? Choose two answers.

• “During the Middle Ages—the period between ancient and modern times—most Europeans rarely traveled.”

• “His impressions were recorded in a book now called The Travels of Marco Polo, which further stirred people’s imaginations.”

• “Sometimes, goods from China came by sea, because the Chinese had made many advances in sailing.”

• “Printed materials ... helped spread news about explorers’ discoveries and encouraged others to take to the seas.”

• “On his first voyage, Columbus sailed to several neighboring islands in addition to the Bahamas.”

Using details from the text, summarize the Taíno people’s experiences with Christopher Columbus and his crew.