The Age of Exploration

Question 1

What is a caravel?

Answer 1

This was a new type of ship. It had square and lateen sales and a clinker built hull. It was fast, strong and easy to manoeuvre

Question 2

What is the function of compass?

Answer 2

This allowed sailors to work out what direction are travelling in when travelling in the northern hemisphere, needle points North and vice a versa

Question 3

What was the function of the astrolabe?

Answer 3

This told them how far north or south of the equator they were. It measured latitude by studying the position of the sun

Question 4

What was the function of a quadrant?

Answer 4

What did the same as the astrolabe, but they pointed the quadrant at the North star

Question 5

What was the function of the log and line?

Answer 5

Worked out the ships speed in knots

Question 6

What was the function of the swinging the lead?

Answer 6

This measured depth

Question 7

What what is the function of portolan charts?

Answer 7

These were maps of the sea showing coastlines and depth

Question 8

What were the dangers of exploration?

Answer 8

🔹 Shipwreck
🔹 Storms, fog, lack of wind
🔹 Scurvy
🔹 Starvation
🔹 Conflict with natives
🔹 Typhoid
🔹 Mutiny

Question 9

What did prince Henry the navigator do?

Answer 9

He set up a navigational school for sailors in Sagres, Portugal

Question 10

What was Bartolomeu Dias’ aim?

Answer 10

To discover how long Africa was

Question 11

What was Vasco de Gama’s aim?

Answer 11

To sail around Africa and reach India

Question 12

In what year did Vasco de Gama set sail from Lisbon?

Answer 12

1498

Question 13

When and where was Christopher Columbus born?

Answer 13

He was born in Genoa, an Italian port, in 1451

Question 14

What was Christopher Columbus’ aim?

Answer 14

To reach India and the spice Islands by sailing west

Question 15

Who sponsored Christopher Columbus?

Answer 15

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella

Question 16

What were the names of Columbus’ three ships?

Answer 16

The Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria

Question 17

When and where from did Columbus set off?

Answer 17

He set off from Palos, Spain on 3 August, 1492

Question 18

What did Columbus name the island that he first landed on?

Answer 18

San Salvador (Holy Savior)

Question 19

When did Columbus die?

Answer 19

1506

Question 20

What was Ferdinand Magellan’s aim?

Answer 20

To reach Asia and the spice Islands by sailing west. He knew the continent of America existed

Question 21

What were the names of Magellan’s five ships?

Answer 21

The Santiago
The Victoria
The Concepcion
The Trinidad
The San Antonio

Question 22

When and where from did Magellan set off?

Answer 22

From Spain in 1519

Question 23

What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?

Answer 23

To stop Spain and Portugal from a war, the Pope drew an imaginary line across the world. All newly discovered land east of the line belonged to Portugal and west of the line belonged to Spain

Question 24

Who conquered the Aztecs?

Answer 24

Hernando Cortes

Question 25

Who conquered the Incas?

Answer 25

Francisco Pizarro

Question 26

For what three reasons did Europeans begin exploring?

Answer 26

• Gold
• God
• Glory