Age of Exploration Answers

Age of Exploration True / False Questions 1. (p. 355) Spanish mariners developed a strategy called the volta do mar that enabled them to take direct routes to their destinations. FALSE 2. (p. 356) When Christopher Columbus returned to Spain, he reported to his royal sponsors that he had reached the islands just off the coast of Asia. TRUE 3. (p. 358) Ferdinand Magellan was killed in a political dispute in the Philippines; and of his five ships and 280 men, only one ship with 18 men returned to Spain. TRUE 4. (p. 359) The goal of the Portuguese in establishing a trading-post empire was to conquer new territories. FALSE 5. (p. 361) The English merchants formed an especially powerful joint-stock company, the East India Company. TRUE 6. Yongle Emperor of China’s Ming Dynasty started exploration of mostly the Indian Ocean decades before the Great Exploration. TRUE 7. Zheng He reached the New World ahead of the Europeans. FALSE 8. Around the European Exploration, China enjoyed unprecedented prosperity featured by commercialization of economy, industrial advances, urbanization, flourishing culture, and rapid population growth. TRUE Multiple Choice Questions 1. (p. 352-353) Which of the following was NOT one of the main inspirations for European exploration? A. the desire to conquer China and India B. the search for basic resources C. the desire to establish new trade routes to Asian markets D. the desire to spread Christianity E. the search for lands suitable for cultivation of cash crops. 2. (p. 352) The most prominent European nation in pursuing early voyages of long-distance exploration was A. England. B. Spain. C. Portugal. D. France. E. Italy. 3. (p. 352-353) Which of the following was NOT a reason for European interest in finding a maritime trade route? A. that the spread of the bubonic plague made the silk roads more dangerous B. that Mongol domination had caused trade along the silk roads to stop C. the high prices charged by Muslim merchants D. the demand in Europe for items such as Indian pepper and Chinese ginger E. the desire to expand the boundaries of Christianity 4. (p. 354) Lateen sails had the advantage of A. allowing for faster travel than anything available in the Islamic world. B. working better in crosswinds. C. being so colorful that they could be seen from many miles away. D. being able to take full advantage of a wind blowing from behind. E. being cheaper because their basic component was jute. 5. (p. 354) The astrolabe was designed to measure A. latitude. B. velocity. C. distance. D. longitude. E. depth. 6. (p. 356) Which of the following men conquered the Moroccan port of Ceuta and sponsored a series of voyages down the west African coast? A. Christopher Columbus B. Henry VIII of England C. Francis I of France D. Süleyman the Magnificent of the Ottoman empire E. Henry of Portugal 7. (p. 356) Christopher Columbus's decision to sail west to reach Asia was based on A. assistance from an experienced Muslim sailor. B. secret information on trade routes that he had received indirectly from Chinese sources. C. legends left over from the earlier Viking voyages. D. his miscalculation of the distance from the Canary Islands to Japan. E. information that he had gathered after inventing his own astrolabe. 8. (p. 358) The first circumnavigation of the world was completed in 1522 by A. Francis Drake. B. Ferdinand Magellan. C. Vasco da Gama. D. Ferdinand Magellan's crew. E. Vasco Nuñez de Balboa. 9. (p. 358) Ferdinand Magellan established a trade route between Mexico and A. Spain. B. Hawai`i. C. Portugal. D. the Canary Islands. E. the Philippines. 10. (p. 358-359) Most of the actual early exploration of the Pacific Ocean was carried out by the A. Spanish. B. Portuguese. C. English. D. Dutch. E. French. 11. (p. 359) The explorer who led three expeditions into the Pacific in the eighteenth century was A. James Cook. B. Ferdinand Magellan. C. Francis Drake. D. Vasco da Gama. E. Vasco Nuñez de Balboa. 12. (p. 361) In the end, Portugal was unable to maintain its early domination of trade because A. it was a small country with a small population. B. a Chinese resurgence of naval exploration forced the Portuguese out. C. a late outbreak of the bubonic plague in the seventeenth century killed half the country's population. D. the English, French, and Dutch formed a lasting alliance designed to force the Portuguese to surrender. E. the Portuguese tired of the expenses of naval exploration and focused on their European land empire. 13. (p. 362) The most prosperous country in Europe in the seventeenth century was A. England. B. France. C. Spain. D. the Netherlands. E. Russia. 14. (p. 362) Russian territorial expansion into northern Eurasia began in the A. fifteenth century. B. sixteenth century. C. seventeenth century. D. eighteenth century. E. nineteenth century. 15. (p. 363) Russian merchants and explorers began the expansion into Siberia in the quest for A. gold. B. silver. C. copper. D. furs. E. iron. 16. (p. 368) In the long term, the Columbian exchange A. brought a lasting decline in population because of the ravages of diseases such as smallpox. B. had very little influence on world population figures. C. led to economic instability because of a glut of Chinese silver. D. barely broke even financially. E. increased world population because of the spread of new food crops. 17. (p. 369) From 1500 to 1800, the largest contingent of migrants consisted of A. enslaved Africans. B. Hindu Indians fleeing religious persecution. C. northern Europeans seeking economic opportunity in the Americas. D. Chinese peasant families fleeing recurring outbreaks of disease. E. southern Europeans seeking political freedom in the Americas. 18. (p. 370) By 1750, all parts of the world participated in a global trade network in which Europeans played dominant roles, EXCEPT A. China.B. South America.C. Australia.D. India.E. Africa. Essay Questions 1. What specific motives prompted European overseas voyages? Of all these motives, which do you think took precedence? 2. Examine the technological innovations that allowed for European exploration. How many of those innovations came from Europe originally? What other factors helped make sailing that far possible? 3. Examine the early Portuguese exploration and dominance in trade. What made this dominance possible? Why didn't their early advantage last? 4. What were some of the positive aspects of the Columbian exchange? What were some of the destructive aspects of this exchange? Give some specific examples. 5. Compare the Chinese and European explorations: What were the Chinese motives? What were the consequences? Why do you think the Chinese failed to make much difference?