European exploration and colonization

The Spanish colonization efforts in the Americas were primarily driven by the search for:
A. Silk
B. Gold and silver
C. Spices
D. Fur
Answer: B

Which explorer’s voyage confirmed the Americas were a new continent, not Asia?
A. Ferdinand Magellan
B. Amerigo Vespucci
C. Vasco Núñez de Balboa
D. Hernán Cortés
Answer: B

The Dutch West India Company was established to compete primarily in:
A. Slave trade
B. Fur trade and colonization
C. Sugar plantations
D. Maritime navigation
Answer: B

Which English explorer attempted to establish a colony at Roanoke?
A. Francis Drake
B. Walter Raleigh
C. John Smith
D. James Oglethorpe
Answer: B

The Spanish conquistadors’ conquest of the Americas was facilitated by:
A. The vast population of their forces
B. Superior weapons and alliances with native groups
C. Naval power and reinforcements
D. Conversion of local leaders to Christianity
Answer: B

The “Black Legend” refers to:
A. The Spanish mistreatment of Native Americans
B. Myths about English piracy
C. French claims about Dutch colonies
D. Stories of mythical riches in the Americas
Answer: A

Which French explorer established trade relations with the Huron tribe?
A. Jacques Cartier
B. Samuel de Champlain
C. René-Robert Cavelier
D. Louis Joliet
Answer: B

The English Puritans established which colony in 1620?
A. Jamestown
B. Roanoke
C. Plymouth
D. Massachusetts Bay
Answer: C

Hernando de Soto explored which region of the Americas?
A. The Great Plains
B. The Mississippi River Valley
C. The Yucatan Peninsula
D. The Amazon Basin
Answer: B

Which Dutch city served as the capital of New Netherland?
A. Albany
B. New Amsterdam
C. Fort Orange
D. Willemstad
Answer: B

The French founded which city as a strategic trading post in 1718?
A. Montreal
B. Quebec
C. New Orleans
D. St. Augustine
Answer: C

What was the primary purpose of Spanish galleons in the Americas?
A. To transport enslaved people
B. To carry goods, especially gold and silver, to Europe
C. To establish naval supremacy
D. To explore uncharted territories
Answer: B

Which English monarch chartered the Virginia Company?
A. Elizabeth I
B. Henry VIII
C. James I
D. Charles I
Answer: C

The first African slaves in the English colonies arrived in:
A. Massachusetts
B. Jamestown
C. New Amsterdam
D. Charleston
Answer: B

The Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro is best known for conquering the:
A. Aztec Empire
B. Mayan city-states
C. Inca Empire
D. Carib tribes
Answer: C

The Dutch East India Company primarily sought to control:
A. Asian spice trade routes
B. North American fur trade
C. African slave trade
D. South American silver mines
Answer: A

The Edict of Nantes (1598) influenced French colonization by:
A. Prohibiting trade with Native Americans
B. Granting religious tolerance to Protestants, including Huguenots
C. Encouraging Catholic missions in the New World
D. Protecting French maritime ventures
Answer: B

Which Native American group helped the Pilgrims survive their first winter?
A. Powhatan
B. Iroquois
C. Wampanoag
D. Cherokee
Answer: C

The Spanish fort at St. Augustine was primarily built to:
A. Defend against English and French encroachments
B. Serve as a trade center
C. Launch expeditions into South America
D. Protect gold mines
Answer: A

The English colony of Maryland was initially founded as a haven for:
A. Puritans
B. Catholics
C. Quakers
D. Anglicans
Answer: B

Who was the Dutch explorer who navigated the Hudson River?
A. Henry Hudson
B. Abel Tasman
C. Samuel de Champlain
D. John Cabot
Answer: A

The Spanish term “peninsulares” referred to:
A. Mixed-race individuals
B. Spaniards born in Spain living in the colonies
C. Indigenous leaders who converted to Christianity
D. African slaves in Spanish colonies
Answer: B

The English Civil War (1642–1651) indirectly impacted colonization by:
A. Slowing colonial expansion
B. Increasing migration to the colonies
C. Strengthening relations with Native Americans
D. Stopping the fur trade
Answer: B

French Jesuit missionaries were called:
A. Huguenots
B. Black Robes
C. Conquistadors
D. Calvinists
Answer: B

Which European country built sugar plantations in the Caribbean before moving to North America?
A. Spain
B. Portugal
C. France
D. England
Answer: B

The French explorer René-Robert Cavelier is credited with naming:
A. Quebec
B. Louisiana
C. Nova Scotia
D. Montreal
Answer: B

Which crop became essential to the success of the Virginia Colony?
A. Cotton
B. Corn
C. Tobacco
D. Sugar
Answer: C

The Dutch established trade posts in South America primarily for:
A. Gold
B. Slavery
C. Sugar production
D. Cocoa farming
Answer: C

Which Spanish conquistador explored the American Southwest?
A. Vasco Núñez de Balboa
B. Hernando de Soto
C. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
D. Pedro de Alvarado
Answer: C

What was the main result of the Spanish Reconquista for colonization?
A. Expansion of the encomienda system
B. Funding for overseas exploration
C. Rejection of Native alliances
D. Adoption of French trading practices
Answer: B

The Spanish colonial economy relied heavily on:
A. Gold and silver mining
B. Fur trading
C. Maritime navigation
D. Rice and cotton agriculture
Answer: A

Which region did the French refer to as “New France”?
A. The Caribbean Islands
B. The Mississippi River Basin and Canada
C. The eastern seaboard of North America
D. Central and South America
Answer: B

The Dutch settlement of Fort Orange is now known as:
A. Albany
B. Buffalo
C. New York City
D. Boston
Answer: A

England’s defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 resulted in:
A. An end to Spanish colonization
B. English dominance of the Atlantic
C. Increased French colonial efforts
D. The collapse of the Dutch economy
Answer: B

Which explorer gave England its first claim to land in North America?
A. Francis Drake
B. Walter Raleigh
C. John Cabot
D. Henry Hudson
Answer: C

The Jesuit missions in the Americas were primarily focused on:
A. Trading with Native Americans
B. Spreading Christianity and education
C. Mining silver
D. Establishing sugar plantations
Answer: B

The English colonies were primarily financed by:
A. The monarchy
B. Wealthy merchants and joint-stock companies
C. The Catholic Church
D. The Dutch East India Company
Answer: B

Which European country had the least presence in North America during the early colonization period?
A. Spain
B. Portugal
C. France
D. England
Answer: B

The Spanish conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa is credited with:
A. Discovering the Pacific Ocean
B. Establishing the first mission in California
C. Building the first Spanish fort in Florida
D. Leading the conquest of the Aztecs
Answer: A

The House of Burgesses in Virginia was significant because:
A. It established religious tolerance
B. It was the first elected legislative assembly in the Americas
C. It ended the encomienda system
D. It formalized English control over New Netherland
Answer: B

Which crop was introduced by the Spanish to Europe from the Americas?
A. Rice
B. Wheat
C. Potatoes
D. Barley
Answer: C

Which treaty ended the Dutch presence in New Netherland?
A. Treaty of Paris
B. Treaty of Westphalia
C. Treaty of Breda
D. Treaty of Utrecht
Answer: C

The “Middle Passage” refers to:
A. A trade route to India
B. The transportation of enslaved Africans to the Americas
C. The passage around Cape Horn
D. A Native American migration route
Answer: B

Which French explorer sought a Northwest Passage to Asia?
A. Jacques Cartier
B. Samuel de Champlain
C. René-Robert Cavelier
D. Jean Nicolet
Answer: A

The encomienda system ended in part due to the efforts of:
A. Hernán Cortés
B. Bartolomé de las Casas
C. Francisco Pizarro
D. Ferdinand Magellan
Answer: B

The first European to see the Grand Canyon was:
A. Hernando de Soto
B. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
C. Vasco Núñez de Balboa
D. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Answer: B

The Dutch primarily colonized which region in the Americas?
A. The Caribbean
B. The Hudson River Valley
C. The Ohio River Valley
D. The Mississippi Delta
Answer: B

Which economic policy dominated European colonial ambitions in the Americas?
A. Capitalism
B. Socialism
C. Mercantilism
D. Feudalism
Answer: C

The first permanent French settlement in North America was:
A. Quebec
B. Montreal
C. New Orleans
D. St. Louis
Answer: A

The English religious group that sought to “purify” the Church of England was:
A. Huguenots
B. Pilgrims
C. Puritans
D. Quakers
Answer: C

The Spanish referred to mixed African and European descent as:
A. Mestizo
B. Mulatto
C. Creole
D. Métis
Answer: B

The Dutch New Amsterdam later became which major city?
A. Boston
B. Philadelphia
C. New York
D. Baltimore
Answer: C

Which Spanish explorer is credited with the conquest of Florida?
A. Hernando de Soto
B. Francisco Pizarro
C. Juan Ponce de León
D. Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Answer: C

The Dutch primarily exported which goods from New Netherland?
A. Spices and silver
B. Fur and timber
C. Tobacco and sugar
D. Cotton and wheat
Answer: B

Which European country controlled Louisiana before the United States purchased it?
A. Spain
B. England
C. France
D. Netherlands
Answer: C

The asiento system was most closely tied to:
A. The encomienda system
B. The Atlantic slave trade
C. Gold mining
D. Religious missions
Answer: B

What was the primary purpose of the Spanish presidios in the Americas?
A. Fortified military bases to protect Spanish interests
B. Trading outposts for fur and goods
C. Agricultural hubs for Spanish colonies
D. Religious training centers
Answer: A

The fur trade in New France relied heavily on alliances with which Native American group?
A. Iroquois
B. Algonquin
C. Cherokee
D. Sioux
Answer: B

The Mayflower Compact was significant because:
A. It granted land to settlers
B. It established self-governance in Plymouth Colony
C. It abolished the monarchy’s control
D. It allowed religious freedom in Massachusetts
Answer: B

The French explorer Marquette was known for:
A. Discovering the Mississippi River
B. Establishing the first French settlement in Canada
C. Mapping the St. Lawrence River
D. Leading the first mission to California
Answer: A

What was the primary goal of early English joint-stock companies in the Americas?
A. Establish religious havens
B. Profit from natural resources
C. Create alliances with Native Americans
D. Abolish Spanish colonization
Answer: B

The Dutch Reformed Church was closely tied to which colony?
A. New Spain
B. New Netherland
C. New France
D. Virginia
Answer: B

Which of the following was NOT a reason for European colonization of the Americas?
A. Religious freedom
B. Agricultural innovation
C. Wealth from trade and resources
D. Expansion of political power
Answer: B

The Spanish fleet that transported goods and treasures from the Americas to Spain was known as:
A. The Armada
B. The Treasure Fleet
C. The Pacific Flotilla
D. The Atlantic Convoy
Answer: B

The English colony of Georgia was originally founded as:
A. A haven for Catholics
B. A military buffer against Spanish Florida
C. A fur trading post
D. A colony for wealthy English merchants
Answer: B

The French built Fort Detroit to control access to:
A. The Hudson River
B. The Mississippi River
C. The Great Lakes
D. The Appalachian Mountains
Answer: C

What was the primary crop grown on French plantations in the Caribbean?
A. Tobacco
B. Cotton
C. Sugarcane
D. Corn
Answer: C

The colony of Pennsylvania was established by William Penn as a haven for:
A. Catholics
B. Puritans
C. Quakers
D. Protestants
Answer: C

Sir Francis Drake was known for:
A. Circumnavigating the globe and raiding Spanish ships
B. Founding the Roanoke Colony
C. Establishing trade routes to India
D. Mapping the Canadian coastline
Answer: A