Name _______________
Modern World History
Mr. Kraft
Exploration and Empire Expansion
Guns, Germs, and Steel
Directions: Answer the following questions from the attached reading (pages 67 – 81) taken from the book Guns,
Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond.
Vocabulary:
litter – a couch mounted between shafts that is used to carry a person from place to place
maritime – located on the sea; being related to commerce or navigation on the sea
vassal – a person granted the use of land in return for military service (conquistadores)
Questions:
1. What year does the author say the “collision of the advanced Old World and the New World societies began”, and
what was the event that sparked this collision?
2. Who was the King of Spain when the Spanish conquered the Incas?
3. How many Spanish soldiers did Francisco Pizarro have and how many Inca warriors did Atahuallpa have when
they battled in the Peruvian (Peru) town of Cajamarca?
4. What happened to Atahuallpa?
5. How big was the room that held the gold ransom?
6. Where were the nearest Spanish soldier reinforcements if Pizarro and his men got into any trouble?
7. What government title was Pizarro given by his men?
8. How did Pizarro find his way to Cajamarca?
9. When Pizarro divided his cavalry (soldiers with horses) into two portions in order to attack the Incas at Cajamarca,
who were the two men given command of each portion?
10. When Pizarro divided his infantry (soldiers without horses) into two portions in order to attack the Incas at
Cajamarca, who were the two men given command of each portion?
11. What was the purpose of the infantry men placed at the fort in the plaza, and who was in charge of these men?
12. When Atahuallpa and his Inca soldiers marched to meet Pizarro and the Spaniards, describe what the Incas
looked like.
13. What did some of the Spaniards uncontrollably doing as they watched the Atahuallpa and his Inca warriors march
into the plaza at Cajamarca
14. What did Atahuallpa do with the bible when it was presented to him by the Spanish priest and what did it lead to?
15. What things startled the Incas when the Spanish attacked at Cajamarca, and how did some Incas end up killing
themselves?
16. How many Incas were killed at the battle of Cajamarca
17. How many Spanish were killed at the battle of Cajamarca?
18. Give your interpretation of the following quote said to Atahuallpa by Pizzaro shortly after the battle of Cajamarca
ended.
We come to conquer this land by his command, that all may come to a knowledge of God and of His Holy Catholic
Faith; and by reason of our good mission, God, the creator of heaven and earth, and of all things in them, permits this,
in order that you may know Him and come out of from the bestial and diabolical life you lead. When you have seen the
errors in which you live, you will understand the good that we have done you by coming to your land by order of his
Majesty the King of Spain. Our lord permitted that your pride should be brought low and that no Indian should be able
to offend a Christian.
19. According to the author, what are some reasons why Pizarro defeated Atahuallpa so easily?
20. What famous battle between the Sioux Indians and U.S. Army does the author speak of? Who won this battle and
who commanded the U.S. Army in this battle?
21. What Native American tribe fought off invading whites settlers longer than any other tribe Native American tribe.
Where is this tribe’s homeland and why were they able to fight off whites for so long?
22. In comparing the Spaniards to the Incas at the battle of Cajamarca, how many times more numerous were the
Incas compared to the Spanish?
23. What is the Incan Capital City?
24. Who did the Incas think that the Spaniards were and how did this provide another advantage for Pizarro and his
men?
25. Where were horses first domesticated (tamed)?
26. What the advantage of horses in battle?
27. When did the use of horses to gain “military dominance” against your opponent in warfare end, and why do you
think it ended in this war?
28. What was the reason for the Incan Civil War, and how did Pizarro and his men use this to their advantage?
29. How did disease help and hurt European colonization in the New World?
30. How did Inca leadership and lack of a writing system contribute to the downfall of the Incan Empire and Native
Americans in general?
31. How did the Native American’s lack of knowledge about the European way of life contribute to their destruction?
32. After whom did Pizarro model his ambush of Atahuallpa at Cajamarca.
33. Answer the overall question presented by the author in the final paragraph of the reading: Why did Europeans
possess the ability to conquer Native Americans and not the other way around?