Name: ___________________________________
Date: _________________
Age of Exploration Test Study Guide – Test on Monday, 11/6
1) List 3 reasons we know that Native Americans were civilized before Europeans
arrived?
*MORE THAN JUST THESE ANSWERS:
They built and lived in houses.
They had organized
They hunted animals and
government systems, which
used the entire animal so
included chiefs, councils of
they weren’t wasteful.
men and women, and
rules/laws.
2) What three continents did Europeans know existed before the Age of
Exploration?
Africa
Asia
Europe
3) Explain how the invention of the printing press impacted the increase of
exploration.
The printing press was a machine that was invented to print books and newspapers for the first
time. People could learn about what others were doing which would help them on their
exploration.
4) What were four reasons for European Exploration?
Think 3G’s: “GOD, GOLD, GLORY”
GOLD: To trade and obtain new resources
(spices, gold, silk, and other goods)
GOLD: To find new trade routes (land/ocean)
GOD: To spread Christianity
GLORY: To claim land (to make the country
more powerful)
5) Technological Developments
Ships and Sails
List TWO problems with ships and sails that
prevented people from traveling/exploring far
away:


List TWO solutions with ships and sails that
helped allow people to explore farther away
(how was the problem solved?):
Square sails meant that ships could only 
travel in the direction of the wind and

not far from land
Oars meant that ships needed A LOT of
people to row and couldn’t steer very
well.
Triangular sails were developed to
allow ships to sail in any direction.
Rudders were created so ships could
steer in any direction so they needed
fewer people to navigate.
Navigation
List ONE problem with the tools that were used
to navigate:

Astrolabes were the tools used for
navigation, but they were supposed to
be used on land so they didn’t work on
water on ships.
List ONE solution with the tools that were used
to navigate (how was the problem solved?)

The cross-staff was developed which
was more accurate and could be used
on water.
How did the creation of guns and canons lead to naval warfare?
(What was the problem with early weapons and how was it solved?)
Naval warfare is fighinting on sea, land, or other bodies of water between boats
or ships. Early weapons, like spears, swords, or bows and arrows meant you had
to be close to your enemy so they couldn’t fight in boats. The creation of guns
and cannons meant that you could fight on a boat because you could be
farther away from your enemy.
6) What were the MAJOR goals of the following explorers? What are they MOST
known for discovering?
Explorer
Goal (To…)

To find a faster route to Asia
by sailing west across the
Atlantic Ocean.

To find a faster route to Asia
Christopher
Columbus
No, never
made it to
Asia but
he
thought
he did.
No
John
Cabot
Major Discoveries and/or
Impact

Although he believed he
had landed in Asia and
claimed land for Spain, he
actually “discovered” the
New World.

He claimed land in what is
now Canada on behalf of
England.
He introduced English to the
New World.


Hernando
DeSoto
To explore Southeastern U.S.
to find gold.

No


Francisco
Coronado

Henry
Hudson
Led an expedition north
through Southwestern U.S. to
find the Seven Golden Cities
To find a faster “Northwest
Passage” route to Asia
No, he
didn’t find
gold.
No





Amerigo
Vespucci
Goal
Met?
Yes or No
To find a faster, western route
to Asia.

No
He was the first European to
travel the Mississippi River.
Was unsuccessful.
He was the first European to
visit the Grand Canyon.
Was unsuccessful.
Sailed through Hudson Bay,
Hudson Strait, and Hudson
River (named after him).
Was unsuccessful.
He was the first explorer to
realize that the land he was
exploring was a separate
continent and was not
actually part of Asia.
*None of the explorers actually accomplished their original goals! Columbus thought
he did, but he really didn’t!
7) Why did Europeans call North America the “New World”?
Europeans called North America the “New World” because they didn’t know it existed prior to
Amerigo Vespucci’s discovery – it was a “new” place to them!
8) What was the Columbian Exchange?
The Columbian Exchange was the exchange of goods, ideas, people, and diseases
between the Old World and the New World. It is named after Christopher Columbus
because the exchange started after his “discovery” of the “New World.”
9) Explain the impact of the following on the New World (America) and
the Old World (Europe)
Exchanged
Item
Horses
Impact on Old or New World
Brought from EUROPE to AMERICA
How did this item affect Native Americans in the New World?
This item helped Native Americans who lived in the Midwest plains
region to hunt because they could follow animals while riding on a
horse.
Sugarcane
Brought from EUROPE to AMERICA
How did this item affect BOTH Native Americans AND Europeans in
the Old World and the New World?
This item affected both Natives and Europeans. Sugarcane was a
cash crop, so Europeans sold it to make money. It negatively
affected Native Americans because growing cash crops led to
slavery.
Potatoes,
Cassava, and
Maize (corn)
Brought from AMERICA to EUROPE
How did these items affect Europeans and Europe?
Potatoes, cassava, and corn are high energy foods which helped
reduce people not having enough food in Europe (famine). When
people had food and were healthy, the population increased A
LOT, which caused people to move to America.
Disease
Brought from EUROPE to AMERICA
How did this item affect Native Americans?
Europeans accidentally carried diseases from Europe with them,
which infected Native Americans and caused a lot of them to die.
This made it easier for Europeans to take over America.
10) In your opinion, which item that was exchanged during the Columbian
Exchange had the BIGGEST impact? Explain your reasoning.
Justify your choice!