Spanish Explorers and Colonization in the New World Quiz

What is the term for the action of settling among and establishing control over the Indigenous people of an area to benefit and enrich the colonizers?

• Colonization

• Settlement

• Conquest

• Exploration

What were the motivations for colonization by European explorers in the New World?

• Fame, fortune, and freedom

• Exploration, expansion, and education

• Gold, glory, and god

• Adventure, power, and trade

Who was the Spanish conquistador credited for conquering present-day Mexico and bringing its inhabitants under Spanish rule?

• Hernán Cortés

• Francisco Vásquez de Coronado

• Juan Ponce de León

• Amerigo Vespucci

Which Italian-born explorer sailed for both Spain and Portugal and came to suspect that he was looking at a continent entirely different from Asia?

• Francisco Vásquez de Coronado

• Juan Ponce de León

• Vasco Núñez de Balboa

• Amerigo Vespucci

Who was the first European to explore what is today the state of Florida?

• Amerigo Vespucci

• Juan Ponce de León

• Vasco Núñez de Balboa

• Francisco Vásquez de Coronado

Who was the Spanish explorer best known for being the first European to see the Pacific Ocean?

• Vasco Núñez de Balboa

• Amerigo Vespucci

• Juan Ponce de León

• Francisco Vásquez de Coronado

Which Spanish explorer was motivated by the search for the mythical fountain of youth and became the first European to explore what is today the state of Florida?

• Francisco Vásquez de Coronado

• Vasco Núñez de Balboa

• Juan Ponce de León

• Amerigo Vespucci

What system did the Spanish establish in the new colonies, forcing Indigenous people to work for the colonizers in return for education about Christianity?

• Hierarchy

• Colonization

• Encomienda

• Conquest

What was the greatest impact of Spanish contact with the Indigenous people in the Americas?

• Establishment of new cities

• Forced labor in mines

• Spread of Christianity

• Introduction of European diseases

What did many Indigenous people die from as a result of the encomienda system?

• Rebellion

• Harsh climate

• Lack of food

• Overwork