History essay questions
1. A series of events and conditions existed in the Old World at the dawn of the fifteenth century that made New World exploration not only possible but desirable. Identify these events and conditions, and explain how each helped set the stage for exploration.
a. Isabella avoids an arranged marriage by King Henry, her step brother, that would limit her power. She marries King Ferdinand, ruler of land in Northern Spain, in 1469.
b. Isabella becomes queen after King Henry, a ruler that not made many enemies among the nobility and clergy, dies 1474.
c. Isabella and Ferdinand start a new campaign known as the Reconquest to eliminate Muslim strong holds and to purify Christianity in the region.
d. During that time, Christopher Columbus was part of their royal cavalcade, a group of adviser, servants and hanger-ons.
e. Columbus’ idea of sailing west to Asia had already been rejected by Portugal. He pitched his idea in 1486 to the Queen while on their religious campaign. After years of pitching the story, Queen Isabella finally agreed in April 1942, hoping to expand her wealth and monarchy.
f. Columbus gathered 3 ships and sailed west in August 1942. Two months later the landed on an island in the Caribbean. Seeking a shorter way to get to the rich Asia, Columbus accidently discovered a new land that was even richer in resources.
2. Despite Columbus’ lack of success in locating the Asian mainland by sailing west, his arrival in the Caribbean had a profound and lasting impact on both the Old World and the New Worlds. Discuss Columbus’ voyages. Discuss Spanish claims to the new lands in the West. Explain how Europeans’ understanding of the world geography changed due to Columbus’ discoveries. Discuss the Columbian Exchange.
a. Columbus’ first exploration to the New World brought great hope to Spain and himself. He still thought he was in the East Indies so he called the native people on the New World “Indians”. He returned to Spain with several “Indians” and the
a. Isabella avoids an arranged marriage by King Henry, her step brother, that would limit her power. She marries King Ferdinand, ruler of land in Northern Spain, in 1469.
b. Isabella becomes queen after King Henry, a ruler that not made many enemies among the nobility and clergy, dies 1474.
c. Isabella and Ferdinand start a new campaign known as the Reconquest to eliminate Muslim strong holds and to purify Christianity in the region.
d. During that time, Christopher Columbus was part of their royal cavalcade, a group of adviser, servants and hanger-ons.
e. Columbus’ idea of sailing west to Asia had already been rejected by Portugal. He pitched his idea in 1486 to the Queen while on their religious campaign. After years of pitching the story, Queen Isabella finally agreed in April 1942, hoping to expand her wealth and monarchy.
f. Columbus gathered 3 ships and sailed west in August 1942. Two months later the landed on an island in the Caribbean. Seeking a shorter way to get to the rich Asia, Columbus accidently discovered a new land that was even richer in resources.
2. Despite Columbus’ lack of success in locating the Asian mainland by sailing west, his arrival in the Caribbean had a profound and lasting impact on both the Old World and the New Worlds. Discuss Columbus’ voyages. Discuss Spanish claims to the new lands in the West. Explain how Europeans’ understanding of the world geography changed due to Columbus’ discoveries. Discuss the Columbian Exchange.
a. Columbus’ first exploration to the New World brought great hope to Spain and himself. He still thought he was in the East Indies so he called the native people on the New World “Indians”. He returned to Spain with several “Indians” and the