US History - 1 - Exploration & Early Settlement Quiz

Answer: Leif Ericsson

Although no written record has been found of their discovery, the Vikings have been given credit for first setting foot in North America around 1000 AD. There are remains of some Viking settlements that lasted about 2-4 years. These ruins have been found as far south as northern Massachusetts.

Answer: True

The returning Crusaders brought back to Europe exotic spices, silk and gold. Overland transport was very costly and dangerous, so possible sea routes were explored.

Answer: Prince Henry of Portugal

Up until the mid-fifteenth century most sailors refused to sail too far from the sight of land. They believed the earth was flat and that they would sail over the edge. The use of the sextant and compass allowed the sailors to sail further and navigate by the stars.

Answer: Portugal

Sailors from Prince Henry's School of Navigation were the first sailors to sail around the tip of Africa and on to India. However, Prince Henry never lived to see the ultimate success of his school.

Answer: Spain

Columbus tried to sell his planned voyage west to reach the east to several different countries but no one was interested. However, the Queen of Spain had a soft spot in her heart for Columbus and convinced her husband that the voyage might turn a profit.

Answer: False

The ancient Greeks knew that the earth was spherical and this knowledge was commonplace among scholars in the Middle Ages. The notion that Christopher Columbus was trying to disprove "flat earthers" is just one of those legends.

Answer: False

Columbus made four voyages to the New World and it wasn't until his third voyage that he began to realize he had not found the spice islands. He died a poor man because all the wealth was claimed for the Spanish crown. He never knew he discovered a whole new continent.

Answer: Fountain of Youth

There was no 'Fountain of Youth' and Ponce de Leon was killed by hostile natives.

Answer: False

The two countries nearly went to war but the Treaty of Tordesillas drew a line (north-south) dividing the world between the two countries. Everything west of the line was under Spanish influence and everything east of it was Portuguese. All of America, except what is now the eastern part of Brazil, fell to Spain under this agreement.

Answer: False

In 1497 and 1498 John Cabot made two voyages to the north Atlantic and claimed Newfoundland and Cape Breton Island for the king of England. France, and later the Netherlands too, were also among the early explorers and colonizers.

Answer: Sir Walter Raleigh

There is no written evidence of this event occurring but it makes for a good story. In reality Walter Raleigh was a man of opportunity and was at the right place at the right time and managed to gain favors from the queen.

Answer: St. Augustine

St. Augustine in present-day Florida is the oldest European colony on the contiguous USA (the continental 48 states excluding Hawaii and Alaska). It has flown the flag of four countries: Spain (1565-1763), Britain (1763-1783), Spain again (1783-1821), USA (1821-1861), Confederate States of America (1861-1865) and USA again from 1865.

Answer: False

The English made two unsuccessful attempts at colonization. One group, under Sir Humphrey Gilbert, was lost at sea. The second group founded a colony at Roanoke Island (present day North Carolina) that became known as the 'Lost Colony'.

Answer: war between England and Spain

In 1588 a large part of the Spanish Armada was destroyed, when they sought protection off Calais and were burned by the English. The remaining ships tried to circle the British Isles and ran into severe storms in the North Sea and later in the Atlantic, off Ireland. Only about one third of the ships managed to return to Spain.

The Spanish government, which had assumed it would receive vast quantities of loot from England, was bankrupt.

Answer: Virginia Dare

Virginia Dare was the first English child born in the New World (on Roanoke Island) but when the supply ship returned in 1590 all they found was a vacant fort with the word 'Croatoan' carved on a tree. The fate of the settlers to this day is pure conjecture.

Answer: James I

The first two (private) attempts to establish a colony in the New World had failed, and no further private attempts were made. After the death of Elizabeth I and the coronation of James I a joint stock company was formed which expected to reap a profit from its investment, much like the riches the Spanish were extracting from South and Central America.

Answer: Jamestown, Virginia

In May 1607 three ships sailed up the Chesapeake Bay and the James River and landed 100 settlers on a marshy swamp, and here they established the first English colony.

Answer: Captain John Smith

In a the terrible year of 1609-10, 80% of the original settlers died from disease, starvation and Indian attacks. The remaining settlers were ready to return to England when they were met at the mouth of the Chesapeake by a supply ship and new settlers. They turned back and once at the fort Captain John Smith took over control of the colony.

Answer: Powhatan

Powhatan was the chief. His daughter was Pocahontas. The story of his saving John Smith from being beheaded is highly suspect since Smith was known to exaggerate in order to make himself appear to be larger than life.

Answer: Godspeed, Discovery and Susan Constant

Replicas of these three ships can be seen at Jamestown Park in Virginia.