European Exploration

Why was it difficult for European sailors to travel in the open ocean prior to the adoption of technologies such as the compass, astrolabe, and quadrant?

• Prior to the adoption of these tools, sailors were unable to predict or prepare for rough weather.

• Prior to the adoption of these tools, sailors were unable to know where they were located or in what direction they were heading.

• Prior to the adoption of these tools, sailors were unable to supply their ships properly as they could not measure how long it would take to reach their destinations.

• Prior to the adoption of these tools, sailors could only sail in the direction that the wind was blowing.

Though they came from different countries, early explorers from Spain, France, and England shared what motivation for coming to North America?

• establishing permanent settlements

• spreading Christianity to native peoples

• finding gold and other valuable resources

• farming cash crops such as tobacco

What key difference from earlier sailing ships made it possible for the caravel to make voyages across the ocean?

• The caravel was much heavier than earlier ships, allowing it to withstand rougher waters and dangerous weather.

• Unlike earlier ships, the caravel was large enough to carry the cargo and crew members necessary for voyages across the ocean.

• While earlier ships had square sails, the caravel had triangular sails that allowed it to sail into the wind.

• The caravel had a different rudder than earlier ships, making it much easier to control and steer.

What factor caused European nations to capture Africans and take them to the New World to sell as slaves?

• Africans had a unique knowledge of how to establish a successful settlement.

• Europeans believed that Africans had a special spiritual power to bless the land.

• Many of the Native Americans being exploited for labor died of disease.

• Africans were thought to be better gold miners than Native Americans.

This is a quotation from Christopher Columbus concerning a group of indigenous people that he encountered on his voyage to the Americas. What advantage did Columbus have that allowed him to make this observation?

• Columbus's crew possessed gunpowder and firearms, while the natives did not.

• The natives were pacifists who believed that Columbus's men preferred to avoid conflicts.

• The natives appeared to be small and weak, while Columbus's men were strong.

• Columbus's crew drastically outnumbered the natives.

The map shown represents a pattern of commerce. What was one unexpected result of this pattern of commerce?

• the spread of Christianity in the New World

• the growth of European economies

• the colonization of North America

• the spread of diseases to the New World

This is an excerpt from an account describing the capture of Africans as part of the slave trade. It provides an explanation for which unintended effect of the slave trade?

• an increase in the military conflicts in the region as tribes began capturing other tribes

• an increase in the number of slave uprisings in the region as tribes began capturing other tribes

• an increase in the number of slaves dying from illnesses aboard slave ships

• an increase in the price that slave traders had to pay for slaves

How did the expansion of the slave trade affect African nations in the 1600s and 1700s?

• African nations prospered because they received goods from the Europeans.

• African nations declined due to a lack of workers and the separation of families.

• African nations were not changed by the slave trade.

• African nations declined due to the high death rate from new illnesses.

Why did several African civilizations sell slaves to European traders?

• These civilizations controlled European colonies.

• These civilizations were created by European governments.

• These civilizations had the largest populations in Africa.

• These civilizations gained wealth and power in Africa.

Read the quote to answer the question. "The stench of the hold...was so intolerably loathsome, that it was dangerous to remain there for any time...The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate...almost suffocated us...The shrieks of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole scene of horror almost inconceivable." - Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, 1789. Olaudah Equiano is describing what condition?

• being a serf

• being part of the caste system

• working on a farm in Latin America

• being on a slave ship