An Empire in the Sun: I Trivia Quiz

Answer: Portugal

Henry the Navigator was a Portuguese patron of exploration; he was also the son of King John I of Portugal. His efforts were mainly concentrated in developing trade with Africa and exploring Africa's coastline.

Answer: Bartolomeu Dias

At the time the Cape of Good Hope, originally called the Cape of Storms, was mistakenly thought to be the southernmost point of Africa. (That is in fact Cape Agulhas, which Dias also passed). Though Bartolomeu Dias never reached India, his goal, he did prove to Europeans that there was a possible maritime route to India, which would allow Europeans to bypass taxes imposed by the Safavid and Ottoman authorities the overland route to India.

Answer: Vasco da Gama

Vasco de Gama reached India and despite heavy sacrifice (one ship and around half the men on the expedition). He returned to Portugal with spices and other exotic goods that were worth sixty times the cost of the expedition.

Answer: Arawak

The Arawak were the first native peoples of the Americas that Christopher Columbus met. Some were brought back to the Spanish court back by Columbus on his return voyage. The Arawak later suffered heavy, forced labor under Spanish rule (particularly in the fruitless search for gold) followed by outbreaks of European diseases that decimated their population.

Answer: Newfoundland

John Cabot (aka Giovanni Caboto) was an Italian explorer in the employ of England. He reached Newfoundland, becoming the first European sailor to reach North America since the Vikings.

Answer: Tlaxcala

Tlaxcala, was a Mesoamerican state that was already engaged in on and off conflicts with the Aztec Triple Alliance. Xicotencatl II allied himself with Hernan Cortes, providing the Spanish with a significant ally.

Answer: Atahualpa

Atahualpa was the last emperor of the Incas. He fought for control over the Inca Empire with his brother, Huascar, weakening the empire. Francisco Pizarro exploited this opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the Inca at the Battle of Cajamarca, which ended with Atahualpa's capture.

Answer: Viceroyalty of Colombia

Throughout the history of the Spanish Empire, its holdings in the Americas were divided into four parts: the Viceroyalty of New Spain (1535-1821), the Viceroyalty of Peru (1542-1824), the Viceroyalty of New Granada (1717-1819), and the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata (1776-1814).

Answer: Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain was a French explorer who mostly traveled across eastern Canada, establishing the fur trade in his encounters with the natives there. He also founded Quebec City and later served as the Governor of New France later.

Answer: Battle of Diu

The Battle of Diu (1509) was an important victory for the Portugese. The much smaller Portugese fleet under the command of Dom Francisco de Almeida defeated a combined armada of ships from the Gujarat Sultanate, the Mamluk Sultanate, the Ottoman Empire, the Kingdom of Calicut, the Republic of Venice, and the Republic of Ragusa.

After the battle the Portugese established control over Goa, Ceylon, Malacca, and the Strait of Hormuz.