Europeans Reach the Americas

According to the passage, what was Christopher Columbus convinced he could do by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean?

• Reach Asia

• Discover America

• Find a new route to India

• Prove the Earth is round

Why did Columbus ask King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to pay for his expedition?

• He promised them great riches, new territory, and Catholic converts.

• He wanted to escape from Spain and needed their help.

• He was forced by the Portuguese to ask the Spanish monarchs.

• He needed money to build a new palace for the king and queen.

Columbus took several steps to prepare for his journey across the Atlantic. Which of the following was one of those steps?

• He secured funding and ships from the Spanish monarchy.

• He built his own ships without any help.

• He traveled to Asia first to gather supplies.

• He sailed alone without a crew.

Where did Columbus first land during his 1492 voyage?

• Hispaniola

• San Salvador (Bahamas)

• Cuba

• Trinidad

What did Columbus believe about the land he had reached?

• He believed he had found a new route to Asia and called the people he met 'Indians.'

• He believed he had discovered a new continent unknown to Europeans.

• He thought he had landed in Africa.

• He believed he had reached the southern tip of South America.

Why did Columbus and his crew return to Spain after three months in the Americas?

• They were looking for gold and collecting exotic plants and animals, but after three months, they returned to Spain.

• They were forced to leave due to a lack of food and water.

• They were ordered back by the Spanish king immediately after arrival.

• They were attacked by local inhabitants and had to escape.

Explain how Columbus’s voyages changed the relationship between Europe and the Americas.

• Columbus’s voyages began a new era of interaction between Europe and the Americas, changing how Europeans thought of their world and their place in it.

• Columbus’s voyages led to the immediate independence of the Americas from European influence.

• Columbus’s voyages resulted in the Americas becoming isolated from the rest of the world.

• Columbus’s voyages caused Europe to stop exploring other parts of the world.

The impact of Columbus’s discovery on European countries can be described as:

• It led to increased exploration and colonization by European countries.

• It caused European countries to stop exploring new lands.

• It resulted in the immediate independence of American colonies from Europe.

• It had no effect on European trade or power.

What were Columbus’s main concerns in founding a colony on Hispaniola?

• Establishing towns

• Controlling gold collection

• Appointing mayors

• Setting up churches for religious conversion

Why did Columbus want to sail across the Atlantic?

• He wanted to find safer and better land for farming and trading, and to establish colonies.

• He wanted to prove the world was flat.

• He was searching for gold in the Americas.

• He wanted to escape from his enemies in Spain.