European Exploration and Colonization

Name:

Date:

📚 Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. What were the main motivations for European exploration of North America?

Wealth, land, and spreading religion

Finding new foods and spices only

Escaping bad weather in Europe

Learning new languages

2. Which explorer is credited with beginning European contact with the Americas in 1492?

John Cabot

Christopher Columbus

Hernán Cortés

Jacques Cartier

3. What does the term "colonization" mean?

Trading goods with other countries

Exploring new lands briefly

Establishing settlements and controlling territory

Drawing maps of new places

4. Which groups were most negatively affected by European colonization? (Check all that apply)

Indigenous peoples

Native wildlife and environments

European merchants

Traditional Indigenous ways of life

✏️ Part 2: Short Answer Questions

5. Explain one way that European colonization changed the lives of Indigenous peoples in North America.

6. Why is it important to study both European and Indigenous perspectives when learning about colonization?

7. Fill in the blanks with vocabulary words:

European _____________ were driven by the desire for wealth and land. The process of _____________ had lasting effects on _____________ peoples who had lived in North America for thousands of years.

Word bank: explorers, colonization, Indigenous

🤔 Part 3: Critical Thinking

8. Imagine you are writing a diary entry from the perspective of either a European explorer OR an Indigenous person during first contact. Write 3-4 sentences describing your thoughts and feelings about this encounter.

I am writing from the perspective of: _________________ (European explorer OR Indigenous person)

9. What is one long-term impact of European colonization that we can still see in North America today?