Age of Exploration Quiz

Who was the Portuguese explorer whose ships circumnavigated the world between 1519 and 1522?

• Christopher Columbus

• Ferdinand Magellan

• Vasco da Gama

Which empire blocked European access to the area, severely limiting trade, and leading to the desire to find new trade routes?

• British Empire

• Ottoman Empire

• Roman Empire

Which Italian explorer working for the Spanish monarchy made his first journey in 1492 and found the island of San Salvador?

• Christopher Columbus

• John Cabot

• Vasco da Gama

Which country established the first permanent colony in North America at Jamestown, Va., in 1607?

• Portugal

• Spain

• England

Who was the explorer who mapped the island of Manhattan first in 1609?

• Samuel du Champlain

• John Cabot

• Henry Hudson

What method of navigation and mapping improved as a result of the travels of people such as Prince Henry the Navigator?

• Sextant

• Traditional portolan charts

• Compass

Which staple of much of the world's diet was unknown to Westerners until the time of the Spanish conquest?

• Wheat

• Rice

• Corn

Which empire ruled from the Southwestern United States to the southernmost reaches of Chile and Argentina by the end of the Age of Exploration?

• Spanish Empire

• Mongol Empire

• Roman Empire