European Explorers

Christopher Columbus

On October 12, 1492 land was spotted. It was a small island in the Bahamas that Columbus would name San Salvador. He met natives there that he called Indians because he was convinced that he had landed on islands off the coast of East Asia. He also visited other islands in the Caribbean such as Cuba and Hispaniola.

What was one of the islands Columbus explored in the Caribbean?

• North America

• Cuba

• Peru

• South America

Native Americans were here long before the European Explorers came to America.

• True

• False

Hernando De Soto became the second European to cross the Mississippi River.

• True

• False

Vasco Nunez de Balboa

In 1501, Balboa joined an expedition from Spain to Columbia. He explored the coast of Columbia looking for gold, silver, and other riches. Because of a leaky ship, he ended up staying in Hispaniola for a short time working as a famer.

What was Balboa searching for?

• gold and diamond

• gold, silk, and other riches

• gold, silver, and other riches

• gold, silver, and silk

Europeans began to explore North America searching for wealth and fame, a shorter route to Asia, and to spread Christianity. These are also called the three G's. Type the name of the three G's?

Answer explanation

God, Gold, and Glory

Gold, Glory, God

Glory, God, Gold

Henry Hudson

Henry Hudson's first voyage proved to be a success because of his discovery of whales. Whales were used for meat, blubber, and bones. Blubber was useful for making oil and soap. On his third and fourth voyages, he explored many areas such as the coast of Canada as well as Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, and Hudson River. Europeans learned more about the world because of his many voyages.

Why did whaling become big business after his discovery?

• It did not become big business.

• It became a source for art.

• It became of source for food, making oil and soap.

• It became a source for food.

What is named after Henry Hudson?

• art

• food

• bodies of water

John Cabot

Cabot explored and claimed land in Canada and North America for the King of England. What is the name of the land he reached in Canada?

• Toronto

• Newfoundland

• New York

• Canada

Jacques Cartier

Like Hudson, Cartier’s 1534 voyage had as one of its goals a Northwest Passage to Asia. He explored what is now the St. Lawrence Bay, and returned to France. He was immediately sent on a return trip, and Cartier explored further down the St. Lawrence River and into what is modern Canada, eventually establishing a French colony and exploring near what is now the city of Montreal. Later voyages succeeded only in angering the American Indians of the area, and the riches Cartier sought were never found. As a result, France took decades longer than Spain and England to establish full-fledged colonies in the Americas.

Which river and country did Cartier explore?

• North America and Canada

• Hudson River and Canada

• St. Lawrence River and Canada

• St. Lawrence River and North America

What were some obstacles explorers faced? Select all that apply.

• Interaction with hostile natives

• Distance of travel

• Exploring unknown lands

• Lack of Christianity

• Lack of funding