American History Lesson 8: Spanish Explorers

Question:  How might England have used the Black Legend to motivate and justify its colonization of North America?


They may have used it as an excuse to invade North America as a way to attack the Spaniards, since they had already fought in wars together.  England may have used the legend to make the people believe that they were doing a good thing and 'freeing' North America.

American History Lesson 7: Exchanges

Question: Which cash crop is most directly tied to the importation of African slaves to the New World?

Sugar. African slaves were imported to work on sugarcane plantations.

American History Lesson 6: Rise of Nation-States

Question: How did the emergence of nation-states accelerate exploration of the New World?

The unification of the people of a nation allowed them to pursue expansion.

American History Lesson 5: Technological Factors

Question: What similarities did the two voyages share? (referring to Colombus's journeys and the Apollo's trip to the moon.)

Both voyages were sent across dangerous unknown distances. (Space, Sea.)

American History Lesson 4: Commerce

Question: How did the use of printed receipts, bills of exchange, and promissory notes affect merchants and consumers during the Middle Ages?

The printed documents encouraged those conducting business to improve their reading and writing skills.

American History Lesson 3: Cortés Defeats the Aztecs

Question: What might the Spaniard's treatment of the Aztecs tell us about how Europeans perceived Native Americans during the Age of Discovery?

It might be that the Europeans thought that the Native Americans were not fit to be more than slaves, the Spaniards conquered the land and made the natives do there bidding and they seemed to have no rights, but to serve.