Exploring the Americas

Why did Europeans look to the sea for new trade routes?

• Thieves were a danger along the Silk Road.

• The Ottoman Empire cut off their access to land routes.

• The Catholic Church began taxing trade along land routes.

• Climate change made it difficult to move their goods on the Silk Road.

How did the astrolabe help European explorers?

• It made their ships easier to steer.

• It helped with many types of calculations.

• It helped them to determine wind direction.

• It allowed them to determine their longitude.

Why did Coronado travel from Mexico to present-day Kansas?

• to map the Colorado River

• to map the Mississippi River

• to find the Northwest Passage

• to find the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola

Which explorer’s voyage took the greatest length of time?

• Magellan

• Vespucci

• Columbus

• Ponce de León

What did European explorers want from their travels? Choose the three correct answers.

• cattle

• adventure

• fame

• wealth

• horses

Match each country below with the lands it claimed on the map.

Britain

Match each country below with the lands it claimed on the map.

France

Match each country below with the lands it claimed on the map.

Portugal

Match each country below with the lands it claimed on the map.

Spain

How can Columbus be considered both an entrepreneur and an explorer?