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Age of Exploration Test

Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 
Which of the following is not a reason why Europeans began to explore the world?
a.
to convert people to Christianity
c.
to obtain spices from Asia
b.
to learn about new lands and people
d.
to develop new technologies
 

 2. 
Why did Europeans begin to use tools such as the astrolabe and compass?
a.
to find safe water routes to faraway places
b.
to allow their ships to sail against the wind
c.
to increase the speed of their ships
d.
to make updated maps of the seas
 

 3. 
Caravels were different from traditional ships because they
a.
used larger oars.
c.
used deeper hulls.
b.
had triangular sails.
d.
had larger crews.
 

 4. 
Which country was the leading developer of advancements in sailing?
a.
Spain
c.
Portugal
b.
England
d.
France
 

 5. 
Prince Henry the Navigator did all of the following to encourage exploration except
a.
build an observatory for sailors.
c.
open a navigation school for sailors.
b.
go on voyages to Asia and Africa.
d.
pay people to sail on voyages.
 

 6. 
Which of the following best characterizes what it was like to sail the open seas in the 1400s?
a.
calm and safe
c.
boring and slow
b.
strange and perplexing
d.
dangerous and scary
 

 7. 
What was the importance of Vasco da Gama’s voyage to the west coast of India in 1498?
a.
It was the fastest voyage from Europe to Asia thus far.
b.
It showed that sailing west could lead to new discoveries.
c.
It was the first time a sea route to Asia had been found.
d.
It proved that the Portuguese were the top explorers.
 

 8. 
Christopher Columbus made three voyages to America in his lifetime but always thought he was in Asia. What conclusion can you draw from this fact?
a.
Columbus did not know what Asia was like.
b.
Columbus was an excellent navigator.
c.
Columbus was not interested in America.
d.
Columbus was afraid to admit his mistakes.
 

 9. 
What does it mean to circumnavigate the globe?
a.
to sail from one continent to another
b.
to sail all the way around the world
c.
to sail from one hemisphere to another
d.
to sail to an unexplored part of the world
 

 10. 
Which explorer sailed up the Saint Lawrence River and claimed lands for France in 1535?
a.
John Cabot
c.
Jacques Cartier
b.
Francis Drake
d.
Francisco Pizarro
 

 11. 
What did the English and French hope to find in North America?
a.
new crops to cultivate
c.
gold, silver, and bronze
b.
a water route to Asia
d.
undiscovered civilizations
 

 12. 
The Spanish Armada attacked England because
a.
England had found a water route to Asia.
b.
France and England had claimed land in North America.
c.
Spain wanted to seize control of the Aztec and Inca empires.
d.
Francis Drake had raided gold and silver from Spanish ships in the Americas.
 

 13. 
What effect did the defeat of the Spanish Armada have on Europe?
a.
Spain was no longer the dominant sailing nation.
b.
England was forced to stage a later invasion of France.
c.
The French were able to attack England more easily.
d.
Europeans had more silver and gold in their treasuries.
 

 14. 
Which old belief was proved wrong as a result of the European voyages of discovery?
a.
the belief that most of the world’s resources were in Europe
b.
the belief that it was impossible to construct an accurate map
c.
the belief that Asia was part of the same landmass as Europe
d.
the belief that ships would burn when crossing the equator
 

 15. 
Which of the following best describes the Columbian Exchange?
a.
the exploration of new lands in Africa and the Americas by Europeans
b.
the exchange of plants, animals, and ideas between Europe and the Americas
c.
the poor treatment of American Indians by European explorers and colonists
d.
the new trading routes to the Americas established by Columbus
 

 16. 
Which animals were brought to the Americas by the Spanish?
a.
alligators
c.
horses
b.
geese
d.
mules
 

 17. 
This exchange of plants changed the eating habits of people around the world.
Which of the following statements supports this fact?
a.
In China, where there had been no pineapples, people still eat rice.
b.
American foods, such as beans, are still popular in the Americas.
c.
West Africans, who had always eaten peanuts, now eat them more often.
d.
Europeans, who had never had tomatoes, now eat them regularly.
 

 18. 
Which religion did European missionaries attempt to spread to the New World?
a.
Islam
c.
Christianity
b.
Hinduism
d.
Buddhism
 

 19. 
Which group showed other people how to use the wheel?
a.
Africans
c.
Asians
b.
Europeans
d.
American Indians
 

 20. 
What was the importance of Europeans introducing sheep and sugarcane to the people of the Americas?
a.
These introductions created new industries in the Americas.
b.
These introductions altered eating habits in the Americas.
c.
These introductions ended slavery in the Americas.
d.
These introductions caused new illnesses in the Americas.
 

 21. 
How did people in the Americas begin to grow sugarcane?
a.
in small fields and plots
c.
on plantations
b.
in the African way
d.
in their yards
 

 22. 
Which of the following groups received poor treatment as a result of the Columbian Exchange?
a.
European citizens
c.
Spanish colonists
b.
American Indians
d.
African kings
 

 23. 
What did Bartolomé de las Casas attempt to do?
a.
end the harsh treatment of American Indians by the Spanish
b.
bring more Spanish nobles and monarchs to live in the Americas
c.
bring American Indians to Spain
d.
increase the size of Spanish plantations in the Americas
 

 24. 
In what way did enslaved Africans differ from enslaved American Indians?
a.
Enslaved Africans were more apt to become Christians than American Indians.
b.
Enslaved Africans were less apt to distrust the Spanish than American Indians.
c.
Enslaved Africans were more apt to gain their freedom than American Indians.
d.
Enslaved Africans were less apt to die from disease than American Indians.
 

 25. 
The Spanish monarchs responded to the demands of Bartolomé de las Casas by
a.
passing new laws requiring the proper treatment of American Indians.
b.
insisting that the Spanish colonists had done nothing wrong.
c.
deciding that the Spanish should no longer run plantations.
d.
urging colonists to disregard the things de las Casas said.
 

 26. 
The new social order in the Americas was based on
a.
Christianity.
c.
racism.
b.
democracy.
d.
a system of laws.
 

 27. 
Missionaries to the Americas spread religion and
a.
African customs.
c.
Asian traditions.
b.
European languages.
d.
American currency.
 

 28. 
A system in which the government controls the economic activity in a country is called
a.
capitalism.
c.
banking.
b.
manufacturing.
d.
mercantilism.
 

 29. 
In order to maintain a profitable balance of trade, what did European countries try to do?
a.
import and export as few goods as possible
b.
import and export an equal amount of goods
c.
import more goods than they exported
d.
import fewer goods than they exported
 

 30. 
European countries obtained wood, cotton, furs, and dyes from their colonies. What conclusion can you draw from this fact?
a.
The countries used their colonies to acquire raw materials.
b.
The countries were doing their best to help their colonies.
c.
The countries did not want the colonies to have these things.
d.
The countries had no other place from which to buy these things.
 

 31. 
Which of the following best describes a cottage industry?
a.
Products that are used in homes are bought and sold.
b.
Business leaders build and sell small houses and cottages.
c.
Colonists sell materials to their mother nations for a profit.
d.
Family members work in their homes to make part of a product.
 

 32. 
Between the late 1500s and the early 1800s, to which place were most enslaved people transported?
a.
southern Europe
c.
western Africa
b.
the New World
d.
all of Asia
 

 33. 
Which nation gained economic power as a result of new trade routes and banking practices?
a.
England
c.
France
b.
Spain
d.
Portugal
 

 34. 
After an atlas was published in the late 1500s, traders were able to
a.
discover new ways of navigating the oceans.
b.
find new sources of wealth around the world.
c.
convince their nations to publish other books.
d.
develop better ways of managing their finances.
 

 35. 
Which field was grown and developed successfully by Jews in the Netherlands?
a.
manufacturing
c.
shipbuilding
b.
banking
d.
merchandising
 

 36. 
Which of the following did not cause the demand for manufactured goods in Europe to rise?
a.
The population of Europe was growing and expanding.
b.
Food became less costly, so there was more money to spend.
c.
There were more colonies that got their goods from Europe.
d.
The quality of the manufactured goods was decreasing over time.
 

 37. 
Why is competition among businesses important in a capitalist economic system?
a.
Competition ensures that all products will be good.
b.
Competition affects how much products cost.
c.
Competition determines who makes the goods.
d.
Competition keeps the prices of goods the same.
 

 38. 
Which of the following best describes a market economy?
a.
Governments decide which goods and services people will make.
b.
Manufacturers decide which goods and services people will buy.
c.
Merchants decide which goods and services they will make.
d.
Individuals decide which goods and services they will buy.
 

 39. 
What usually happens in a market economy when the demand for a product rises?
a.
The seller of the product increases the supply.
b.
The seller of the product decreases the supply.
c.
The seller of the product decreases the quality.
d.
The seller of the product increases the quality.
 

 40. 
The economic system in which individuals and private businesses run most industries is called
a.
mercantilism.
c.
capitalism.
b.
marketing.
d.
trade.
 



 
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