wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

European Exploration

Total questions: 76

Worksheet time: 3hrs 33mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The trade of goods and ideas between Europe and the Americas in 1400s and 1500s was known as

a)

Mercantilism

b)

Capitalism

c)

Columbian Exchange

d)

The Slave Trade

2.

What were early European explorers who came to North America looking for?

a)

The Silk Road

b)

The Cape of Good Hope

c)

The North Pole

d)

The Northwest Passage

3.

European explorers came to America for all the following reasons. Select all that apply.

a)

Gold

b)

Goods

c)

God

d)

Glory

4.

Which of the following is the definition of mercantilism?

a)

To bring into a country

b)

To ship out of a country

c)

A person who spreads the message of Christianity

d)

An economic policy meant to profit the mother country

5.

In which year did Columbus first reach North America?

a)

32

b)

1308

c)

1492

d)

1608

6.
Europe is a ______________ that includes countries like Spain, England, and France. 
a)
country
b)
city
c)
continent
d)
state
7.
America was first known as the ______________ to Europeans. 
a)
United States
b)
New World
c)
Atlanta
d)
Canada
8.
What was the name of the trade route that Columbus established from America to Europe?
a)
the Silk Road
b)
the St. Lawrence Shuttle
c)
the Columbian Exchange 
d)
the Polo Express
9.

What was the main reason that the French traveled to the New World?

a)

To profit from the fur trade

b)

To conquer land

c)

To escape religious persecution

d)

To convert natives to christianity

10.

Why were most of the 13 colonies settled?

a)

Settlers were escaping religious persecution in Britain

b)

The fur trade provided a lucrative business for them

c)

Settlers heard about indigenous people and wanted to convert them to Christianity

d)

Settlers wanted to make money off of indigenous slave labor

11.

Fill in the blank: Columbus sailed the ocean blue...

a)

in 1792

b)

in 1852

c)

in 1492

d)

in 2002

12.

Which country's flag is this?

a)

France in 1700s

b)

France

c)

Spain

d)

Great Britain

13.

Which country's flag is this?

a)

Great Britain

b)

Spain

c)

France

d)

France in the 1700s

14.

Which country's flag is this?

a)

France

b)

France in the 1700s

c)

Great Britain

d)

Spain

15.

Which country's flag is this?

a)

Great Britain

b)

France in the 1700s

c)

France

d)

Spain

16.

What was the fastest way of traveling in the 1700s?

a)

On Horseback

b)

Sailing

c)

Via car

d)

Via airplane

17.

The area in blue was colonized by which country?

a)

France

b)

Spain

c)

England

d)

Dutch

18.

The area in green was colonized by which country?

a)

France

b)

Spain

c)

England

d)

Dutch

19.

The area in yellow was colonized by which country?

a)

France

b)

Spain

c)

England

d)

Dutch

20.

Which country dedicated the most amount of time to converting indigenous people (Indians) to Christianity?

a)

France

b)

Spain

c)

England

d)

Dutch

21.

Gold, God, and Glory ....

a)

Reasons to explore North America

b)

Reasons to explore route to Asia

c)

Effects of slavery on Native Americans

d)

Effects of European exploration

22.

Which country sponsored Christopher Columbus's voyage to America?

a)

Spain

b)

France

c)

England

d)

Portugal

23.

What was the effect of Columbus arriving to America?

a)

People confirmed the world was round.

b)

Influenced exploration by other European countries

c)

Influenced the slave trade from Africa

d)

Increased the price of spices

24.

Word connected to looking for or searching -

a)

Sponsoring

b)

Navigating

c)

Colonizing

d)

Exploring

25.
This Norwegian Viking was first to reach in North America.
a)
Prince Henry
b)
Christopher Colombus
c)
Leif Eriksson
d)
Vasco de Gama
26.
Ferdinand and Isabella paid for his voyage to the "new world"
a)
Prince Henry
b)
Christopher Columbus
c)
Leif Eriksson
d)
Vasco de Gama
27.
Columbus' exploration caused conflict between who?
a)
Spain & France
b)
Spain & Portugal
c)
Italy & Spain
d)
Italy & France
28.
_______________ reached America in 1497. He landed in what is now Canada, and is credited with finding a good fishing spot that made England money.
a)
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
b)
Christopher Columbus
c)
John Cabot
d)
Amerigo Vespucci
29.
___________ was the first European to reach America in 1492, he had 3 ships on his voyage: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.
a)
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
b)
Christopher Columbus
c)
John Cabot
d)
Amerigo Vespucci
30.
America was first known as the ______________ to Europeans. 
a)
United States
b)
New World
c)
Atlanta
d)
Canada
31.
_______________ was the first European to discover the Pacific Ocean in 1513.
a)
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
b)
Christopher Columbus
c)
John Cabot
d)
Henry Hudson
32.
Columbus thought that he had arrived at  ___________, and therefore called the Natives he met Indians.
a)
Cathay
b)
Africa
c)
America
d)
India
33.
I believed I could reach Asia by traveling west across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492.  I asked the king and queen of Spain to pay for my journey.
a)
Cabot
b)
de Leon
c)
Columbus
d)
Cortes
34.
The Americas were named after this explorer
a)
Columbus
b)
Vespucci
c)
Bob
d)
Cabot
35.

Which explorer conquered the Aztec Empire?

a)

Cortez

b)

Pizarro

c)

Balboa

d)

Magellan

36.
Priests from European countries arrived in the Americas to preach the teaching of this religion
a)
Islam
b)
Judaism
c)
Scientology
d)
Christianity
37.
Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas impacted this group of people in the most negative way.
a)
Conquistadors
b)
Spanish Settlers
c)
Native Americans
d)
Christians
38.
In order to start trade and business growth, Colonists did this to survive.
a)
built farms, grow sugar cane, mined gold and silver
b)
Sold Stocks in the City
c)
Became Pirates
d)
Opened up a bunch of McDonalds
39.
An __________ is an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and effects many people.  This happened when the Europeans settled in the Americas
a)
Exchange
b)
Epidemic
c)
Terrorist
d)
Culture
40.
Devastation is what happened to the Native Americans when the Europeans took over their land.  What does this work Devastation mean?
a)
to Farm
b)
to work together
c)
to start a war
d)
To cause great harm
41.
African Americans were held captive by European settlers and transported to the Americas to be slaves.  True or False?
a)
True
b)
False
42.
True or False?  Corn, peanuts, potatoes, squash, pineapples, turkeys, guinea pigs and llamas were new plants and animals Europeans had never seen or eaten before coming to the Americas.
a)
True
b)
False
43.
This animal brought from Europe was new to the Americas.  They helped the Native Americans search and hunt food, also fight off enemies.
a)
Pigs
b)
Horses
c)
Llamas
d)
Cows
44.
True or False, deadly conflicts broke out when Native Americans started to resist the changes brought by European settlers.
a)
True
b)
False
45.
True or False? Many Europeans died from deadly diseases that the Native Americans exposed to them.
a)
True
b)
False
46.
This was a movement of people, animals, plants, culture and even disease between Eastern and Western hemispheres.
a)
Epidemic
b)
Culture Exchange
c)
Columbian Exchange
d)
Devastation
47.
Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas in this year.
a)
1592
b)
1492
c)
1942
d)
1812
48.
These animals made traveling faster, hunting buffalo easier and more safe for Native Americans.
a)
Dogs
b)
Wolves
c)
Horses
d)
Cattle
49.
The movement of people and cultures to and from the Americas is known as this kind of exchange
a)
Culture
b)
Columbian
c)
Spanish
d)
European
50.
Exploration gave Europeans ____________ and ___________ because of the trades, new resources and stealing.
a)
wealth and power
b)
burger and fries
c)
money and women
d)
food and shelter
51.
These people were captured and transported to the Americas
a)
Europeans
b)
Native Americans
c)
Missionaries
d)
African Americans
52.
What was the name of the ship where the slaves overtook the owners and later appeared before the United States Supreme Court?
a)
USS Minnow
b)
Titantic
c)
Amistad
d)
Sea Breeze
53.
Approximately how many slaves died during the Middle Passage years?
a)
180,000
b)
18,000
c)
1,800
d)
1,800,000
54.
The majority of slaves that were brought to the American colonies were brought to...
a)
Work on plantations
b)
Work on the railroad
c)
Work building houses
d)
Work building ships
55.
What was the ruling of the United States Supreme Court for those slaves who had taken over their ship?
a)
They were declared free and were able to go back to africa
b)
They were sent to Cuba and were put back on another slave ship
c)
They were jailed and all died in prison
d)
They all stayed in the United States as free people
56.
How did slavery begin in Africa?
a)
People were promised a better life (lied to) and they signed up
b)
The kings sold them to the Europeans
c)
They were captured by Americans from Texas 
d)
They volunteered to go to save their other family members
57.
Ben Franklin told those opposed to removing the anti-slave paragraph, that the "greater good" must be served.  What was the greater good he spoke of?
a)
Less taxes
b)
Independence
c)
Seats in Parliment
d)
British Troops out of the colonies
58.
Who wrote the section in the Declaration of Independence that called out the King for his approval of slavery?
a)
Ben Franklin
b)
George Washington
c)
John Adams
d)
Thomas Jefferson
59.
Where was the delegate from who refused to sign if the anti-slavery passage was left in the Declaration of Independence?
a)
Virginia
b)
Mississippi
c)
North Carolina
d)
South Carolina
60.
Which phrase accurately describes the conditions aboard the slave ship?
a)
Luxurious 
b)
Accommodating
c)
Spacious 
d)
Dark and Claustrophobic 
61.
The part of the slave’s journey aboard the ship between Africa and the American colonies was known as the _________________  _________________
a)
Triangular Trade Route
b)
Middle Passage
c)
Northwest Passage
d)
Bermuda Triangle
62.
What was ironic about the man who wrote the anti-slavery paragraph for the Declaration of Independence?
a)
He owned more than 200 slaves
b)
He was an African American
c)
He had been a Captain on a slave ship
d)
He ran a business that bought and sold slaves
63.
BONUS:  What finally ended Slavery in the United States?
a)
Declaration of Independence
b)
First draft of the United States Constitution
c)
Emancipation Proclamation 
d)
Article of the Confederacy
64.

Native American tribes developed different diet, culture, celebrations and holidays. This was most likely due to:

a)

Geography

b)

Geology

c)

The Renaissance

d)

Chance

65.

Which was not a goal of European explorers?

a)

Find Northwest Passage

b)

Find Gold

c)

Spread Religion

d)

Help Native Americans

66.

Which nation was not involved in exploration of the Americas during 1400-1650?

a)

France

b)

Spain

c)

Britain

d)

Russia

67.

What impact did the Conquistadors have on Aztec, Inca, and other native cultures?

a)

The native cultures were absorbed, becoming part of Spanish culture

b)

The native Cultures were destroyed by the Spanish and replaced by the Spanish

c)

There was no effect on the native cultures from the conquistadors

68.

Which nation sent explorers to present day Canada?

a)

Britain

b)

France

c)

Spain

d)

Netherlands

69.

Which phrase summarizes the motivations during expolration era

a)

For Gold, God, Glory

b)

For Liberty and Justice for all

c)

For one giant leap for mankind

d)

For the First Time in Forever

70.

The search for the Northwest Passage in the 1500-1600's was an attempt to find a better alternative to the Silk Road. Both are examples of

a)

Major battles

b)

Trade routes

c)

Toll roads

d)

Rides at the fair

71.

In a mercantilist system, profits from business and trade in the colonies are used for?

a)

paying the workers in the form of wages and goods

b)

to benefit the controlling country in the form of fees and taxes

c)

Aid to help other countries increase trade

d)

Donations to grow the Church

72.

Which nation claimed lands in mostly located in present day Mexico and South America?

a)

Spain

b)

England

c)

France

d)

Netherlands

73.

What is the major form of transport for goods and people in this time period?

a)

Ships

b)

Planes

c)

Trains

d)

Horses

74.

Which geographic feature would be most beneficial for trading with other places using ships?

a)

Plain

b)

Bay

c)

Mountain

d)

Lake

75.

Which nation established slave trade on West African coast, transporting individuals to the new world via "Middle Passage"?

a)

Portugal

b)

Spain

c)

England

d)

France

76.

What caused the growth of slavery in the new world?

a)

Demand for labor on mercantilist plantations

b)

Demand for new colonists to expand territories

c)

Religious missions of Europeans in Africa

d)

Decrease in war within Africa and other natins