Searching for Trade Routes

What pushed European sailors to travel farther and farther from home?

• Fear of staying in one place too long
• Desire to find new types of food
• Need to escape from political turmoil
• Desire for new trade routes, wealth, and the search for new lands

Why didn't European people know that the Americas existed before the 1400s?

• The huge distance of the Atlantic Ocean kept these separate worlds "apart"

• They believed the Americas were just a myth
• They were not interested in exploring new lands
• They were too busy exploring Asia
• The huge distance of the Pacific Ocean kept these separate worlds "apart"

Prince Henry of ​ (a)   wanted gold and silver from southern ​​ (b)   and items like silk that came from ​ (c)   .

• Asia
• Africa
• Portugal

How did the invention of the compass help explorers?

• It enabled explorers to travel faster.
• It provided a reliable method for determining direction.
• It helped explorers find food and water.
• It allowed explorers to communicate with other ships.

How many voyages did Prince Henry send south to try to get past Cape Bojador on the west coast of Africa?

• 5
• 25
• 10
• 15

In 1434 a Portuguese ship finally make it around Cape Bajdor, allowing Portugal to set up ______ on the western coast of Africa.

• trading posts
• military bases
• agricultural colonies
• fishing villages

In 1488, he became the first European to sail around southern Africa.

• Bartolomeu Dias
• Christopher Columbus
• Vasco da Gama
• Amerigo Vespucci

10 years after Bartholomeu Dias sailed around southern Africa, Portuguese captain Vasco de Gama reached this country.

• India
• Australia
• Japan
• China

Why did Portuguese explorers want to sail around the southern Africa?

• To search for lost treasure in the region
• To establish colonies for the Portuguese empire
• To discover new species of animals
• To find a sea route to Asia for trade

Italian sailor Christopher Columbus believed he could reach Asia by sailing ​ (a)   across the ​ (b)   Ocean, rather than sailing ​ (c)   around the southern tip of ​ (d)   .

• west
• Atlantic
• east
• Africa