Unit 4a Study Guide

European Exploration, Expansion, and Colonization

What were the five main reasons for European Exploration?
1. Spread religion 4. Trade route to Asia for spices
2. Expanding knowledge of the world 5. To find natural resources
3. Expanding European empires

6. Define Mercantilism An economic policy where colonies helped the mother country by
providing valuable natural resources and a market for the goods produced in the mother
country

7. What did a mother country gain when they acquired a new colony in Africa, the Americas, or
Asia? raw materials (natural resources) from the colonies like lumber, crops, minerals,
diamonds, and gold and a place to sell the goods

Portugals Involvement in Exploration
8. Portugal led in the race to find a quicker trade route to Asia.
9. What man helped Portugal by establishing a school of navigation, funding expeditions, and hiring
cartographers to create better world maps? Prince Henry
10. Since Portugal was involved in sailing the coast of Africa, Portugal became involved in what trade
business? Slave trade

The Colonization of Australia
11. Australia was first discovered by which country? Great Britain (England)
12. What group of people played a key role in colonizing Australia? British prisoners
13. In what area were all the aborigines destroyed? Tasmania
14. Who explored Australia for Great Britain? Captain James Cook
15. What did the Europeans bring to Australia that caused many Aborigines to die? European diseases

Fab Four- Which country?
16. Held more colonies in North and South America Spain
17. Held more colonies in Africa Great Britain
18. Colonized Brazil Portugal





Prince Henry
19. What were four accomplishments of Prince Henry?
School for sailors
Invented a new ship called the caravel
Paid for expeditions on the West Coast of Africa
Hired cartographers to draw accurate world maps

World War One

20. How did European Exploration help cause World War I? Countries fought over colonies for land,
resources, and wealth.
21. What were the results of European countries racing to colonize the world?
Africa was colonized in 25 years
Empires built strong armies and navies to protect their holdings.
Rivalries developed over land and resources