HST303A/304A: U.S. History | Unit 1 | Lesson 6: Worlds Meet Lesson Answer Key Worlds Meet Read: Reading Guide 1. Why were Europeans interested in exploration in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries? They were in search of riches, knowledge, and power. 2. Describe two major impacts of the Columbian exchange—one on the European continent and one on the Americas. Corn and potatoes were introduced to Europe from the Americas and became staple crops in parts of Europe. These crops helped to feed growing populations on that continent. Native American populations declined drastically, mostly because of lethal diseases that Europeans brought with them to which the Native Americans had no immunity. 3. When and why did the Spanish begin bringing African slaves to the New World? The Spanish began to bring African slaves to their Caribbean colonies in the early 1500s to use them for labor. The Spanish had been using enslaved Native Americans, but diseases like smallpox killed hundreds of thousands of Indians, resulting in a labor shortage. 4. Jamestown Colony Reason(s) for establishing colony: to get rich Problems faced by the colony: • Most colonists were not used to manual labor and refused to work. • Most colonists lacked knowledge of farming and hunting. • The settlement was founded near a swamp swarming with malaria-bearing mosquitoes. • There was conflict between the settlers and the local Indians. Leaders: John Smith and John Rolfe How the colony was saved: John Smith became governor in 1608 and was a strong leader who forced the colonists to work. Later, conflict between the colony and the local Indians ended when Pocahontas married John Rolfe. Rolfe began exporting tobacco to England. © 2008 K12 Inc. All rights reserved. Copying or distributing without K12’s written consent is prohibited. Page 1 of 1
