HIST-5 Chapter 2 Review

Which tool helped European sailors know how far they had sailed from the equator?

• A. Modern maps

• B. The astrolabe

• C. The telescope

• D. The magnetic compass

Answer explanation

Page 90 in your text: "The astrolabe from North Africa. This device helps measure the height of a star above the horizon."

How did the compass help European explorers navigate their ships?

• A. It allowed them to sail at night

• B. It told them which direction they were going

• C. It helped sailors control the wind on their ships

• D. It measured the distance north or south from the equator

Answer explanation

Also Page 90. A magnetic compass always points north, allowing sailors to figure out which direction they were sailing towards.

Who started a Portuguese navigation school around 1419?

• A. Vasco De Gama

• B. Bartolomeo Dias

• C. Ferdinand Magellan

• D. Prince Henry the Navigator

Answer explanation

Page 92:

Henry was a Portuguese prince who funded a school for mapmaking and navigation. That is how he earned the title, "the Navigator."

Who was probably the first European to sail to North America?

• A. Eric the Red

• B. Leif Ericsson

• C. Vasco De Gama

• D. Christopher Columbus

Answer explanation

Page 88:

Leif Ericcson is the son (hence his name) of Eric the Red. His Viking crew were probably the first European explorers to make landfall in North America, in 1000 AD.

Why did the Portuguese set up trading posts along the west coast of Africa in the early 1400s?

• A. To supply the ships sailing to Brazil.

• B. To make trading with nearby African countries easier

• C. To challenge the power of Prince Henry's navigation school

• D. To create a central location for buying and selling goods

Answer explanation

Page 93 in your textbook

Which of the following was an improvement in shipbuilding in the 1400s?

• A. Triangular sails that controlled the wind

• B. Wooden decks that resisted waterproofing

• C. Rudderless ships that didn't require steering

• D. Smaller cargo areas that make ships weigh less

Answer explanation

Page 91 in your textbook:

"The caravel had triangular sails to better control the wind."

Which direction did Columbus sail in his attempt to reach Asia?

• A. South

• B. North

• C. East

• D. West

Answer explanation

Page 98 in your textbook:

"Columbus wanted to find a new route to Asia by sailing west..."

"The crew . . . saw signs of land, and a small branch covered with berries. Everyone breathed afresh and rejoiced at these signs."—Christopher Columbus

Draw an inference from the quote and identify the most likely reason why Columbus's crew reacted the way they did upon landing in North America.

• A. The crew was relieved that they could fulfill Queen Isabella's order.

• B.

  The crew had been sailing for many days and was extremely tired and hungry.

• C.

  The crew realized they had struck it rich in Asia and could help Spain pay its debts.

• D.

  The crew was aware that Portugal's king didn't believe in their mission and they were excited to prove him wrong.

Answer explanation

READ THE ANSWERS FIRST, AND THEN READ THE PASSAGE AND QUESTION.

Which of the following identifies what Columbus named the general area where he landed on his first voyage and why he named it that?

• A. America; the word means "freedom" in Portuguese

• B.

  New Spain; Columbus's voyage was paid for by Spanish royalty

• C.

  West Indies; Columbus thought he had landed on an island near India

• D.

  Taino; the word refers to a precious Asian spice Columbus hoped to find

Answer explanation

Page 99 in your text:

"Columbus mistakenly thought they were near India. So he named the area the West Indies."

Which of the following was a reason Cortés took Moctezuma prisoner?

• A.

  Cortés wanted to conquer the Aztecs.

• B.

  Cortés wanted to take Moctezuma back to Spain.

• C.

  Cortés was afraid of the Aztecs' superior weapons.

• D.

  Cortés was furious Moctezuma had not welcomed him.

Answer explanation

Page 100 in your textbook:

"Cortes planned to conquer the Aztecs."