MWH: Gold Guns and God

What are the "3 G's" that summarize the primary motivations for European exploration?

Gold (economic), Guns (political), and God (religious).

What was the primary economic motivation, known as "Gold," for European exploration?

Europeans wanted wealth through direct trade, especially for spices and silk from Asia.

What was the "middlemen problem" that drove Europeans to find new trade routes?

Arab traders controlled land routes to Asia, making access to goods expensive for Europeans.

Why did having more middlemen along a trade route increase the cost of goods for Europeans?

Each middleman in the chain would add their own markup, increasing the final price.

What was the nickname given to pepper in Europe due to its high cost and status as a symbol of wealth?

Black gold.

Besides seasoning food, what was one other use for pepper in Europe?

It was believed to cure disease (like the Black Death) or was used as cologne.

Which Portuguese explorer was the first European to successfully reach India by sea and find the source of pepper?

Vasco da Gama.

What was the political motivation, known as "Guns," for European exploration?

Competition between European monarchs for wealth, land, and prestige.

For whom did explorers like Columbus claim the lands they discovered?

They claimed land for their sponsoring monarchs and, in Catholic countries, for the pope.

What did monarchs who financed explorations expect in return for their investment?

They expected profit, prestige, and new land for their kingdom.

What was the religious motivation, known as "God," for European exploration?

The desire to spread Christianity to new parts of the world.

What biblical phrase was often used as a justification for missionary work during the Age of Exploration?

"Go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

The religious motivation for exploration was often connected to the _, with explorers aiming to spread Christianity or reclaim holy lands.

Crusades

In the Americas, the effort to spread Christianity often involved _ of indigenous populations.

forced conversion

Which Spanish conquistador led the conquest of the Inca empire in Cusco?

Francisco Pizarro.

How did the Spanish often transform indigenous religious sites, such as the Inca temples in Cusco?

They converted them into Christian churches, sometimes building on top of the original foundations.

What happened to the gold taken from Inca and Aztec temples by the Spanish?

It was melted down and repurposed into Christian artifacts or sent back to Spain as bullion.

Around 1000 CE, the Norse explorer _ became the first known European to reach North America.

Leif Erikson

What did the Norse explorer Leif Erikson call the settlement he established in Newfoundland, North America?

Vinland.

Which Venetian merchant's travels along the Silk Road to China from 1271–1295 inspired later European explorers?

Marco Polo.

Between 1405 and 1433, which Chinese admiral led seven massive voyages across the Indian Ocean?

Zheng He.

The primary goal of Zheng He's voyages for the Ming Dynasty was not to import goods, but to gain _ and establish tribute missions.

respect

Which explorer, sailing for England in 1497, claimed land along the northeastern coast of North America?

John Cabot.

Which explorer, sailing for Portugal, pioneered the first all-sea route from Europe to India between 1497-1499?

Vasco da Gama.

Sailing for Spain in 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the Caribbean islands but mistakenly believed he had reached _.

Asia

What is Ferdinand Magellan's crew credited with being the first to accomplish between 1519 and 1522?

The circumnavigation of the globe.

Where was Ferdinand Magellan killed, leaving his crew to complete the first circumnavigation of the globe?

The Philippines.

Which Spanish conquistador was responsible for the conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico between 1519-1521?

Hernán Cortés.

The capital city of the Aztec Empire, conquered by Hernán Cortés, was _.

Tenochtitlan

Before the arrival of the Portuguese, trade in the Indian Ocean was largely dominated by _ merchants.

Muslim

What was a significant difference in size between Zheng He's fleet and Columbus's?

Zheng He's fleet had around 300 ships, some of which were three times the size of Columbus's ships.

What was one of the key reasons that China's massive treasure fleet voyages stopped after 1433?

Key supporters like Zheng He and his patron emperor died, and successors prioritized defense.

Who was the Portuguese prince that founded a nautical school to advance sailing and navigation techniques?

Prince Henry the Navigator.

Besides obtaining gold and spices, what was the second main objective of Portuguese explorations?

To spread Christianity.

How did the Portuguese establish and enforce their trading power in the Indian Ocean?

They set up fortified trading posts and sometimes forced local merchants to trade with them.

True or False: The source material confirms that Christopher Columbus knew the Earth was round before his voyage.

True, Columbus knew the Earth was round; his error was in underestimating its size.

What was the Line of Demarcation, established by Pope Alexander VI?

An imaginary line splitting the newly discovered lands in the Americas between Spain and Portugal.

What is the primary reason Christopher Columbus is such a famous historical figure?

His voyages opened the Americas to European exploration and colonization, leading to a lasting global impact.