Name ______________________________
Chapter 4 Study Guide
Leif Erickson- Viking explorer who found Vinland, which we now call
Newfoundland.
Vikings- This group of sailors came from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark
Marco Polo- Italian explorer who spent 24 years in Asia and later wrote a book
about his experiences.
Renaissance- The French word for “rebirth”, happened in Europe in the 1400s
Asia- Europeans wanted the goods from this continent
Gold, spices, and silk- Goods that Europeans wanted from Asia
Prince Henry the Navigator- set up the first school of navigation in Portugal, but
never went on any voyages.
Portugal- This country was the first to try to find a water route to Asia.
Da Gama- Portuguese explorer who was the first to sail around Africa to India
and back to Europe.
Monarch- A king or queen
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella- The king and queen of Spain at the time of
Columbus’ voyage.
Columbus- Italian explorer who got money from the king and queen of Spain so
he could be the first sail west around the world to Asia. Sailed in 1492.
San Salvador- The Spanish name for the island where Columbus landed. Near
present-day Florida.
Guanahani- Taino Indian name for the island where Columbus landed.
Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria- Three ships that Columbus took on his first voyage.
John Cabot- Italian explorer who became so famous for his exploration of what
he thought was China that the English changed his name.
Balboa- Spanish explorer who was the first to see the Pacific Ocean.
Amerigo Vespucci- Italian who explorer came to the conclusion that Columbus
and Cabot had not reached Asia, but had actually found a new continent.
Magellan- Portuguese explorer given credit for being the first to sail all the way
around the world, but he actually died and only 18 sailors made it back to
Europe, named the Pacific Ocean (“peaceful”)
Cartographer- A mapmaker
Conquistadors- The name for the Spanish conquerors
Aztecs- Indian civilization that lived in Middle America and were lead by
Moctezuma
Cortez- Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs
Incas- Indian civilization that lived along the western coast of South America
Pizarro- Spanish conquistador who defeated the Incas
Ponce de Leon- Searched for the Fountain of Youth and named Florida
(“flowery”)
Coronado- Searched for the Seven Cities of Gold in what is now the
southwestern U.S.
Hernando de Soto- Explored what is now the southeastern U.S. and was buried
in the Mississippi River
Three reasons that most Spanish settlers came to America
1. to find gold
2. to claim land
3. to convert Indians to Christianity
The Northwest Passage- Europeans wanted to find this water route through
North America
Jacques Cartier- French explorer who searched for the Northwest Passage
Henry Hudson- Dutch explorer who claimed land that later became New
Amsterdam
Name_______________________________________
Study Guide Questions
** When describing an explorer’s journey be as specific as you can. You need
to know where they explored or ended up, their motivations for exploration,
achievements, and sponsor.
1. Which monarch(s) sponsored Christopher Columbus’s voyage?
2. What were Columbus’s motivations for exploration?
3. What are three navigation technologies that helped Columbus and the
other explorers sail over open oceans? Briefly describe each technology.
4. Describe Cabeza de Vaca’s exploration journey? How far west did he
travel? Why did he come to Texas?
5. Describe Francisco Vasquez de Coronado’s exploration journey?
6. Describe Robert La Salle’s exploration journey?
7. Describe Hernando Cortés’s exploration journey? What did Cortes do
after he arrived in Mexico in 1519?
8. Who was the first European explorer to come to Texas in the 1500s?
9. Why did the Spanish build missions in Texas?
10.
Describe the relationship (how did they work together) between
missions, presidios, and villas. What purpose did each serve?
11.
Explain how the different groups who settled in Texas created a new
culture. What did each group (Spanish/Native American) contribute to
this new culture?