Name: _____________________________________
THE AGE OF EXPLORATION QUIZ
Part I: Why Explore?
Choose THREE of the following reasons, write them out, and explain why they caused
Europeans to explore: Lack of natural resources; national pride; cash economy; rise of the
merchant class; new technology. You may do ONE additional one at the END of the quiz for
extra credit:
1.____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4.
Name the “big four” European countries that were evolving into nations during this time
period:
Part II: Which Country Went Where? For each place named, indicate whether it was
explored by the Spanish (S), English (E), or French (F); some places were explored by more than
one country!!!
5. _________ coastal North America
6.
_________ south/southwestern North America
7.
_________ Haiti
8.
_________ coastal North America
9.
_________ Mexico/Central America
10. _________ interior North America
11. _________ South American and the Caribbean
12. _________ northern North America
Part III: Why Did They Go There? For each fact given, indicate whether it was true for the
Spanish (S), English (E), or French (F)
13. __________ This country was interested in raw materials, not in creating permanent
settlements
14. __________ The King of this country granted charters to private groups allowing them to
settle in certain areas
15. __________ Explorers from this country intermixed with the local population and created a
three-level class system
16. __________ Priests followed the fur trappers over from this country to convert Native
Americans
17. __________ This country relied on using its overwhelming military strength to subdue the
natives and take as much gold and silver as they could
18. __________ This country didn’t fund exploration directly; instead, it encouraged private
exploration and taxed the raw materials that were sent back
19. __________ Settlers left this country to form colonies of people solely from their homeland;
they expelled the Native Americans from the land they settled
20. __________ This country concentrated on settling the St. Lawrence River Valley area.
Part IV. Other Stuff
21. Explain what the phrase, “God, Gold, and Glory” means:
22. What was a “conquistador”?
23. What country were they from?
24. How did a joint stock company work?
25. What does the word “mestizo” mean?
Extra Credit 1: Write out ONE more reason why European countries explored and explain it:
Extra Credit 2: The Pilgrims landed on ________________________ in the year ___________
(must get both parts correct!!!)