Columbus and the Age of Exploration: Impact on Native America

The video discusses Columbus's 1492 voyage, which marked the beginning of European exploration in the Americas. Sponsored by European monarchs, explorers sought new trade routes to Asia. Columbus's journey led to the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing new lands between Spain and Portugal. The arrival of Europeans had devastating effects on Native American populations, primarily due to diseases like smallpox. The Columbian Exchange introduced new goods and technologies, reshaping societies. Despite the negative impacts, some Native cultures benefited from metal tools and weapons.

What was Columbus's primary goal when he set sail in 1492?

• To discover a new continent

• To establish a new colony

• To prove the world was flat

• To find a faster route to Asia

What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?

• A treaty that ended the war between Spain and Portugal

• A peace treaty between Native Americans and Europeans

• An agreement dividing the New World between Portugal and Spain

• A trade agreement between Europe and Asia

What were the main motivations for European explorers following Columbus?

• Land, power, and resources

• Peace, trade, and diplomacy

• God, gold, and glory

• Science, technology, and exploration

What was the Columbian Exchange?

• A cultural exchange program between Europe and America

• A trade route between Europe and Asia

• The exchange of goods, diseases, and ideas between the Old and New Worlds

• A treaty between European nations

What was the primary cause of the decline in Native American populations after European contact?

• Famine and drought

• War and conflict

• European diseases

• Overpopulation

What percentage of Native Americans is estimated to have died due to European contact?

• 70%

• 100%

• 50%

• 90%

What did the Pilgrims find when they arrived in Plymouth in 1620?

• A European settlement

• A deserted island

• A thriving Native American village

• An empty village due to disease

What was one of the main motivations for European exploration in the Americas?

• To spread democracy

• To establish trade routes

• To search for precious metals

• To find new agricultural lands

How did the introduction of metal tools impact Native American cultures?

• It had no significant impact

• It helped improve their technology

• It led to the decline of their societies

• It made their tools less effective

Despite some advanced knowledge, what type of tools did many Native American cultures still use?

• Metal tools

• Iron tools

• Stone Age tools

• Bronze tools