First European Explorers in California

Who was the first European explorer to visit Alta California?

• Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo

• Hernán Cortés

• Francis Drake

• Christopher Columbus

What did Christopher Columbus hope to find when he sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean?

• Africa

• Australia

• Asia

• North America

What did the Spanish conquistadors search for in North America?

• American Indian allies

• New trade routes

• Spices and silk

• Gold and new lands

What did the Spanish explorers name the peninsula that is now the state of California?

• New Spain

• Baja California

• Alta California

• Santa California

Who led an expedition to Alta California in 1542?

• Francis Drake

• Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo

• Christopher Columbus

• Hernán Cortés

What did the Spanish ships known as Manila galleons carry from New Spain to the Philippines?

• Spices

• Gold

• Silver

• Silk

What physical barriers made it difficult for European explorers to reach Alta California?

• Hostile American Indian tribes

• Strong winds and rough waters

• Deserts and high mountains

• Lack of navigational tools

Who claimed that Alta California belonged to England after his voyage along the coast?

• Francis Drake

• Christopher Columbus

• Hernán Cortés

• Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo

What did the Spanish government of New Spain do after Vizcaíno's 1602 expedition?

• Sent more explorers to Alta California

• Stopped sending explorers to Alta California

• Formed an alliance with England

• Built a settlement in Alta California

What did the Spanish explorers hope to find when they sent ships to Alta California?

• A waterway through North America

• Gold and silver mines

• New trade routes

• American Indian allies