WorksheetsEarly Explorations
Total questions: 12
Worksheet time: 12mins
Which of the following first caused Europeans to become more interested in Asia?
The fall of the Roman Empire in 476 C.E.
Military expeditions made by Europeans to the Holy Land beginning in the 1000s C.E.
The spread of Islam throughout the Middle East and Africa beginning in the 600s C.E.
The rise of Italian city-states as economic centers in the 1300s C.E.
Which explorer’s stories of China’s fabulous wealth inspired other Europeans to search for sea routes to Asia?
Kublai Khan
Prince Henry
Marco Polo
Bartolomeu Dias
What was a major characteristic of the Renaissance?
a renewed interest in culture and learning
a “turning inward” and a loss of interest in exploration
a renewed reliance on religious belief rather than reason
a sharp decline of trade between Europe and Asia
During the Renaissance, which of the following contributed to Europe’s desire to explore?
Strong monarchs sought ways to increase trade to make their countries wealthier.
Scientists wanted to establish once and for all that the Earth was round.
A system of national laws increasingly replaced local rule.
Small, weak city-states needed additional income to compete with larger nations.
By the 1400s, which nations began to rival Italy as leaders in trade and exploration?
England and Portugal
Greece and Spain
Portugal and Spain
France and England
Which technological innovation allowed sailors to use the position of stars to plan a course?
telescope
caravel
compass
astrolabe
Why did Portugal search for new trade routes to Asia along the African coast?
The journey from Portugal to Asia was shorter along the African coast.
The Portuguese hoped to learn about trade routes from African merchants.
Portugal did not have a port on the Mediterranean Sea.
Portugal wanted to gain control of the African slave trade.
Which explorer was most responsible for making Portugal the “marketplace of Europe”?
Vasco da Gama
Marco Polo
Christopher Columbus
Bartolomeu Dias
What is one way in which Columbus’s explorations impacted the Americas?
Native peoples of the Americas quickly adopted European lifestyles.
Native peoples of the Americas largely abandoned their territory to live in Europe.
Native peoples of the Americas formed military alliances with European nations.
Native peoples of the Americas began losing control of their lands.
What is one reason Spain’s monarchs supported Christopher Columbus’s explorations?
They hoped to launch a new crusade against Islam.
They wanted to spread Protestantism to Asia.
They wanted a new source of labor for Spanish plantations.
They wanted to find new markets for Spanish goods.
How did Amerigo Vespucci’s voyages impact European knowledge of the world?
Europeans learned that many wealthy civilizations lived in the Americas.
Europeans accepted that there was no direct western route to Asia.
Europeans recognized that South America was a continent, not part of Asia.
Europeans learned that it was possible to sail completely around the world.
What was the purpose of the Treaty of Tordesillas?
It divided claims in the Americas between Spain and Portugal.
It gave Portugal complete control of the African slave trade.
It ended a war between Portugal and England over control of North America.
It limited exploration of North America to the east coast.
