Topic 2.3 and 2.4: European Conquests in the Americas Study Guide
1. __Christopher Columbus_______ landed in the ____Caribbean___islands in 1492 and
sparked a wave of exploration and conquest for Spain.
2. He claimed the land and killed many natives or _____Taino____ people who resisted.
3. Other explorers, called _conquistadors_, also claimed lands in the Americas for Spain.
4. Native deaths were a result of both force and disease. Native Americans lacked
_immunity_ to European illnesses.
5. ___Hernan Cortes______ landed on the coast of Mexico in 1519 with 600 men.
He planned to conquer the ____Aztec Empire___ and headed inland to Tenochtitlan.
6. The Aztec emperor, ____Moctezuma____, sent gifts to Cortes hoping he would turn back.
But Cortes wanted more. In time, Cortes will capture and completely destroy Tenochtitlan and
the Aztec Empire.
7. ____Francisco Pizarro________ set out to conquer the rich Inca Empire in Peru. Inca
ruler, __Atahualpa____ refused to convert to Christianity and was captured and killed.
8. As a result, ___Spain___became a great power in Europe and many American natives
converted their religion and language to Spanish.
9. ___Portugal____ claimed the east part of South America called it ___Brazil_.
10. __France__ settled in Canada and down along the Mississippi River.
11. ___England___settled along the east coast of North America forming the 13 Colonies.
12. In 1607, the first permanent English colony in North America was _Jamestown, VA__.
13. The __Pilgrims___ arrived in present-day Massachusetts in 1620. While on their ship,
they signed the ________Mayflower Compact________setting up self-government.
14. In 1516, Isabella’s grandson __Charles V_____ became king of Spain. He also became
ruler of the ____Hapsburg Empire____.
15. Charles V gave up his titles to his son ____Philip II____.
16. Phillip II’s failed attempt to invade Queen Elizabeth of England with a fleet of ships was
known as the ___Spanish Armada___.