Exploration & Colonization — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Tomatoes and chocolate were crops that traveled from the Americas to Europe.
Tomatoes and chocolate (cacao) were unknown in Europe before Columbus. Both originated in the Americas and became hugely popular European foods.
2. Europeans brought horses, cattle, and pigs to the Americas for the first time.
Horses, cattle, and pigs did not exist in the Americas before European contact. Spanish conquistadors brought horses, which later transformed how Plains Indians hunted and traveled.
3. Sugar cane were brought from Europe and became a major crop in the Caribbean.
Sugar cane was brought from Europe and thrived in the Caribbean's warm climate, becoming so profitable that entire plantation economies were built around growing it.
4. Native Americans had no immunity to European diseases like smallpox.
Native Americans had never been exposed to European diseases like smallpox, measles, or influenza, so their bodies had no natural defenses against them, causing devastating epidemics.
5. The arrival of horses changed the way Plains Indians hunted buffalo.
Before horses arrived from Europe, Plains Indians hunted buffalo on foot. Horses let them chase herds over long distances, making hunting far more efficient.
6. Wheat and barley were European grains introduced to the Americas.
Wheat and barley did not grow in the Americas before European settlers brought them. These grains became staple crops that colonists used for bread and animal feed.
7. The exchange of goods between hemispheres is named after Christopher Columbus.
The Columbian Exchange is named after Christopher Columbus because his 1492 voyage started the ongoing transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
8. Peanuts and cassava were American crops that later became important foods in Africa.
Peanuts and cassava originated in the Americas and were carried to Africa through trade. Both crops grew well in African climates and became essential food sources.
9. European colonists used enslaved African labor to grow sugar cane in the Caribbean.
European colonists forced enslaved Africans to do the backbreaking work of planting and harvesting sugar cane on Caribbean plantations, fueling the transatlantic slave trade.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to the direction it traveled in the Columbian Exchange.
Potatoes
→ Americas to Europe
Europe to Americas
Horses
→ Europe to Americas
Americas to Europe
Tobacco
→ Americas to Europe
Americas to Europe
Wheat
→ Europe to Americas
Europe to Americas
Correct matches: Potatoes → Americas to Europe; Horses → Europe to Americas; Tobacco → Americas to Europe; Wheat → Europe to Americas.