European Exploration: Causes and Effects

1. How did the location of Spain and Portugal on the Iberian Peninsula influence their political and economic decisions during the Age of Exploration?

• It limited their ability to engage in trade with Africa.
• It encouraged them to explore westward across the Atlantic.
• It isolated them from other European powers.
• It forced them to rely solely on overland trade routes.

What was a major consequence of the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire?

• It led to the Pax Romana.
• It marked the beginning of the Middle Ages.
• It contributed to the rise of the Ottoman Empire in global trade.
• It signified the end of European exploration.

Why did Western Europeans seek a new all-water route around Africa during the Age of Exploration?

• To avoid conflicts with the Mongols.
• To access Asian goods and spices without paying high prices to Italian city-states.
• To spread Christian beliefs in Africa.
• To conquer new lands in Asia.

Which technological advancement was crucial for European explorers during long sea voyages?

• The printing press
• The astrolabe
• The steam engine
• The telegraph

What was the primary motivation for Christopher Columbus's exploration westward?

• To find gold in the Americas
• To discover new lands for colonization
• To reach Asia by a westward sea route
• To establish trade with Africa

How did the Columbian Exchange impact European societies?

• It caused a severe economic collapse in Europe.
• It led to a decline in European population due to new diseases.
• It resulted in the introduction of new food crops to Europe, encouraging economic growth.
• It expanded democratic rights throughout Europe.

What role did joint-stock companies play in European exploration?

• They provided navigational tools necessary for exploration.
• They funded and organized expeditions, sharing the risks and profits.
• They trained sailors and cartographers
• They imposed taxes on trade routes.

Which explorer is credited with leading the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe?

• Vasco De Gama
• Christopher Columbus
• Ferdinand Magellan
• Hernán Cortés

What was an enduring issue associated with the Columbian Exchange?

• The decline of European technological advancements
• The impact of cultural diffusion between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres
• The isolation of the New World from the Old World
• The end of the Crusades

How did the fall of Constantinople in 1453 affect European exploration?

• It prompted Europeans to explore new trade routes by sea.
• It led to the immediate exploration of the North American continent.
• It decreased interest in Asian goods and spices.
• It caused a decline in maritime technology development.