Discovery of the Americas

What was Christopher Columbus's original goal for his voyage?

• To prove the world was round

• To find a new western sea route to India

• To discover a new continent

• To conquer the Aztec Empire

What was the name of the island where Columbus first established a lasting Spanish colony?

• Cuba

• Borikén

• San Salvador

• La Española

What was the name of the indigenous people living on the island of Borikén (Puerto Rico) when Columbus arrived?

• The Aztec

• The Tlaxcalan

• The Maya

• The Taíno

Who was the Spanish explorer who actually founded the first European settlement on the island of Puerto Rico?

• Hernán Cortés

• Diego Velázquez

• Juan Ponce de León

• Francisco de Córdoba

What was the primary motivation for Spanish exploration in the New World?

• To spread democracy

• To find gold and wealth

• To study new animals

• To escape religious freedom

The system of forced labor used by the Spanish against indigenous people was called the:

• Encomienda system

• Mestizo system

• Columbian Exchange

• Alliance system

What was the most devastating factor that led to the collapse of indigenous populations in the Americas?

• Superior Spanish weapons

• A series of natural disasters

• European diseases like smallpox

• Constant warfare among themselves

What country paid for Christopher Columbus' voyage?

• England

• France

• Portugal

• Spain

From which Caribbean island did Hernán Cortés launch his expedition to Mexico?

• La Española

• Jamaica

• Cuba

• Puerto Rico

Who was the Nahua woman who served as a translator for Cortés and was crucial to his success?

• La Noche Triste

• La Malinche (Malintzin)

• Queen Isabella

• La Encomienda