Name:______Teacher: ______Per: ____

Early Explorers of Texas

Interactive Assessment

I. Christopher Columbus

  1. What explorer from Genoa, Italy asked Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain to sponsor his voyage?
  1. What 6 things did this explorer ask from the King and Queen?

a. ______d.______

b. ______e.______

c. ______f. ______

  1. How much would this exploration cost Queen Isabella?
  2. In what year did Christopher Columbus set sail?
  3. What were the names of his 3 ships?
  1. After reaching land, Christopher Columbus believed he had reached the outer Indies (Asia). He had actually landed on the islands of the ______.

II. Hernan Cortes

  1. What did Spanish soldiers do to the native people of the New World?
  1. What was the tiniest killer of the native people?
  1. In 1519, Cortes led an army to ______to steal riches from the ______.
  2. What was the name of the Aztec capital?
  3. Was it an advanced city? Give 3 examples.

a. ______

b. ______

c. ______

  1. Why did the Aztec people welcome Cortes at first?
  1. Who was the Aztec God?
  1. Who was the Aztec leader?
  2. What happened to the Aztec leader?
  1. What did the Spaniards do to the magnificent city of Tenochtitlan?
  1. The Spaniards built a new city over the ruins of Tenochtitlan. What was the new name for the capital of “New Spain”?
  1. What three things inspired Spaniards to come to the Americas?(The 3 G’s)

III. Alonso Alvarez de Pineda

  1. What is the explorer Pineda known for?
  1. Pineda created an excellent map of what?

IV. Cabeza de Vaca

  1. What does Cabeza de Vaca mean in Spanish?
  1. A hurricane left Cabeza and his companions shipwrecked near ______, Texas. They called the island “______” which means the ______.
  1. Who accompanied Cabeza de Vaca on his journey?
  1. What Native American tribe helped Cabeza de Vaca?
  1. Where in Texas did this tribe live?
  1. Because of their medical knowledge Cabeza and Esteban were regarded as powerful ______.
  1. How did Cabeza and Esteban adapt to the Karankawa way of life?
  1. While living with the Karankawas, they were told a story of the Seven Cities of Gold called ______.
  1. Who was the Spanish viceroy who was eager to investigate these stories of golden cities?

V. Fray Marcos de Niza

  1. Who acted as a scout and assisted the Spanish priest Fray Marcos in his search of Cibola?
  2. How did this scout protect himself from being attacked?
  1. How did Esteban die and why?
  2. What did Fray Marcos see from afar?

VI. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

  1. When Spanish governor Mendoza heard Fray Marcos story of a golden city, who did he send to check it out?
  2. What did they find when they reach Cibola?
  1. Coronado explored parts of what 5 states?
  1. What did Coronado’s men describe as “round as plates”?
  1. Why did Spain’s interest in Texasdecrease?

VII. Robert La Salle

  1. What countries were competing for the BEST land in America?
  1. What river did Robert LaSalle claim?
  1. What did he name this territory?
  1. Why did he give it this name?
  1. Name 3 things that happened to La Salle’s ships.

a. ______

b. ______

c. ______

  1. What was the name of La Salle’s stockade or fort?
  2. How did La Salle die?
  3. List 3 reasons why La Salle’s fort failed

a. ______

b.______

c. ______

  1. Of the 280 original settlers, only ______remained alive in 1686.
  2. What happened to some of the French colonist’s children?
  1. How did La Salle’s efforts in Texas affect Spanish interest in Texas?