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Period 1: Formative Multiple-Choice Questions

MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Earliest migrants to North America were required to adapt to which initial environmental
challenge?
a. Ice and glaciers
b. Drought and heat
c. Rising oceans
d. Shortages of game and herd animals
ANS: A
a.

b.
c.
d.

Feedback
The first Americans arrived during the period of the Wisconsin glaciation when ice and
glaciers caused the sea level to drop, exposing a land bridge connecting Asian Siberia
and American Alaska. These hunters adapted to life in the regions icy climate.
The first migrants to North America did not face dry and hot conditions.
Sea levels were very low at the time the earliest migrants arrived in North America.
Game and herd animals were plentiful in North America at the time the earliest migrants
arrived.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.1.I

2. The maize culture of the Southwest was most similar to the pre-Columbian culture of the
a. Cahokia.
b. Pueblo.
c. Algonquian.
d. Creek.
ANS: B
a.
b.

c.

d.

Feedback
The Mississippian culture of Cahokia was based on the production of maize but also
involved ceremonial mound building and the building of woodhenges.
The Pueblo culture, like the maize culture of the Southwest, used irrigation and waterconservation practices to cultivate corn. These cultures built large cliff dwellings known
as pueblos.
Algonquian tribes inhabited the Atlantic seaboard. These groups grew corn and other
crops but did not live in dwellings similar to those of the Native Americans who
practiced the maize culture of the Southwest.
The Creek Indians were part of the Muskogean culture that was located east of the
Mississippi River. Muskogeans inhabited a bountiful natural environment that provided
abundant food from hunting, gathering, and agriculture.

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MSC: Key Concepts: 1.1.I.A

3. Before the arrival of Europeans, Great Basin and Western Plains Indians
a. developed larger permanent communities.
b. responded to a lack of resources by developing mobile lifestyles.
c. became dependent on agriculture and maize cultivation.
d. created strong trade networks among North American tribes.
ANS: B
a.
b.

c.

d.

Feedback
Great Basin and Western Plains Indians did not develop permanent communities in the
period preceding European arrival in North America.
Indians who lived in the Western Plains and the Great Basin were hunters and gatherers
who adopted nomadic lifestyles in order to adapt to the severe environmental challenges
of these regions.
Due to environmental considerations, the Great Basin and Western Plains Indians did
not become dependent on agriculture and maize cultivation in the period preceding
European arrival in North America.
The Great Basin and Western Plains Indians did not create strong trade networks among
North American tribes in the period preceding European arrival in North America.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.1.I.B

4. In northeastern North America before European contact, the Iroquois developed the tradition
of
a. potlatch.
b. mound building.
c. sun worship.
d. the longhouse.
ANS: D
a.
b.

c.
d.

Feedback
The potlatch tradition was practiced by Native Americans living on the Pacific coast.
American Indians who lived in watershed drained by the Mississippi River began to
build mounds around 2500 B.C.E. The mounds were used for the burials of chiefs who
were typically accompanied by grave goods, including spear points, pipes, and other
valuable items.
The American Indians who lived in northeast North America in the era before European
contact did not practice sun worship. The Mexica practiced sun worship.
The Iroquoian tribes who occupied territories centered in Pennsylvania, upstate New
York, and the upland regions of the Carolinas and Georgia successfully cultivated corn

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and other crops, which allowed them to build permanent settlements, usually consisting
of several bark-covered longhouses. These buildings housed five to ten families.
MSC: Key Concepts: 1.1.I.C
5. Pre-Columbian Southwest Indians were most noted for which environmental transformation
practice?
a. Draining swamps
b. Burning grasslands and forests
c. Irrigation
d. Overhunting and extinction of herd animals
ANS: C
a.
b.
c.

d.

Feedback
There were no swamps in the Southwest region of North America in the pre-Columbian
period.
The Southwest region of North America did not feature grasslands and forests.
Southwest Indians were not noted for the practice of burning grasslands and forests.
The climate of the Southwest region of North America was very dry, and rainfall was
unpredictable. Ancient Americans living in this region were known for their irrigation
practices that made agriculture possible.
Archaic hunters and gatherers who were the first arrivals in North America were noted
for their hunting practices, which led to the extinction of large herd animals on the
continent.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.1.I.A

6. Fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Spanish exploration and conquest created a racially mixed
culture known as
a. mulatto.
b. mestizo.
c. Chicano.
d. Latino.
ANS: B
a.
b.

Feedback
The term mulatto referred to the children of Spaniards and Africans in the 15th and 16th
centuries.
After Spain conquered the Mexica and established the colony of New Spain, Spanish
men intermarried with Indian women and created a racially mixed culture that became
known as mestizo culture.

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c.
d.

The racially mixed culture of New Spain in the 15th and 16th centuries was not known
as Chicano culture. That term originated in the 20th century.
Latino is a 20th-century term that refers to the culture of Latin America.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.I.A

7. Which deadly epidemic most devastated Mexican natives and was the subject of numerous
15th- and 16th-century primary accounts of disease?
a. Measles
b. Influenza
c. Smallpox
d. Syphilis
ANS: C
a.
b.
c.

d.

Feedback
Europeans brought measles to the New World, but this disease was not the cause of the
most deadly epidemics in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Europeans brought influenza to the New World, but this disease was not the cause of the
most deadly epidemics in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Europeans brought smallpox to the New World, and the disease caused deadly
epidemics among the native population that were unequaled in human history.
Numerous primary sources from the period discuss the impact of smallpox on the native
population of the Americas.
Syphilis originated in the Americas and was carried back to Europe by sailors who
accompanied Christopher Columbus on his journeys.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.I.A

8. Which 15th-century European country dominated the African slave trade?
a. Portugal
b. Holland
c. England
d. France
ANS: A
a.
b.
c.

Feedback
In the 15th century, Portugal dominated the African slave trade. Portuguese traders
captured African slaves, which they sold in the Mediterranean.
Holland did not dominate the African slave trade in the 15th century. Dutch slave traders
played a significant role in the slave trade in the 16th century.
England did not dominate the African slave trade in the 15th century. By the 1690s,
however, the English were shipping significant numbers of slaves across the Atlantic.

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d.

France did not dominate the African slave trade in the 15th century. French traders did
participate in the African slave trade in later centuries, however.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.I.B

9. Which of the following livestock introduced by the Spanish had the greatest impact on Great
Plains Indian settlement patterns?
a. Cows
b. Horses
c. Pigs
d. Buffalo
ANS: B
a.
b.

c.
d.

Feedback
The Spanish did introduce cattle to the New World, but cows did not have a significant
impact on the settlement patterns of the Great Plains Indians.
The Spanish introduced horses to the New World in the early 16th century. The Great
Plains Indians acquired horses from the Spanish and soon became expert riders. They
came to rely on horses, which enabled them to hunt bison across wider ranges.
The Spanish brought pigs to the New World, but swine did not have a significant impact
on the settlement patterns of Great Plains Indians.
Buffalo were indigenous to the New World. Great Plains Indians hunted buffalo on foot
long before the Spanish arrived.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.I.C

10. Which Old World crop introduced by the Spanish most dramatically increased demand for
African slaves in the Caribbean?
a. Sugar
b. Wheat
c. Rice
d. Indigo
ANS: A
a.

b.

c.

Feedback
The Spanish introduced sugar into the West Indies in the 1550s, and it quickly became
an incredibly profitable crop that drove the expansion of the African slave trade as
Europeans set up sugar plantations in the region.
The cultivation of wheat did not increase demand for African slaves in the Caribbean.
Wheat was not cultivated in the Caribbean, nor was it typically cultivated using slave
labor.
Rice became a major crop in the Carolinas in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It

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d.

did not drive the expansion of the African slave trade in the Caribbean.
Indigo became an important crop in the Carolinas in the late 16th and early 17th
centuries. It did not drive the expansion of the African slave trade in the Caribbean.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.I.D

11. The encomienda system primarily relied on labor from
a. African slaves.
b. Spanish indentured servants.
c. American Indians.
d. women.
ANS: C
a.
b.
c.

d.

Feedback
The encomienda system did not rely on labor from African slaves. Another group
provided the labor in this system.
Indentured servants did not provide the labor under the encomienda system.
Under the encomienda system, Spanish conquistadores were granted land from the
territory they conquered. The system permitted them to rule the Indians in the conquered
towns and to make use of their labor. American Indians provided the bulk of the labor
that sustained the encomienda system.
The encomienda system did not rely specifically on the labor of women.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.I.D

12. Encomienda labor focused most on
a. domestic service.
b. jungle clearing.
c. plantation agriculture.
d. trade and commerce.
ANS: C
a.
b.
c.

d.

Feedback
Workers in the encomienda system did not typically perform domestic service.
Native Americans who worked under the encomienda system lived in areas that were
already cleared. They were not primarily occupied with jungle clearing.
Under the encomienda system, Native Americans were forced to do hard labor that
typically consisted of plantation agriculture. Some workers under this system also
worked in mines.
Native Americans who provided labor to the Spanish under the encomienda system did
not engage in trade and commerce.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.I.D

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13. As Spanish labor demands grew, the labor source for imperial production transitioned to
a. Spanish peasants.
b. indentured servants.
c. Indians.
d. African slaves.
ANS: D
a.
b.
c.
d.

Feedback
Spanish peasants did not provide the labor that was needed in order to facilitate
production in New Spain.
Indentured servants did not provide the labor that was needed to facilitate production in
New Spain.
As Spanish labor demands grew in the latter half of the 16th century, the dwindling
population of Indians could no longer provide enough labor.
As the Indian population dwindled rapidly in New Spain in the last quarter of the 16th
century, many Spanish colonists began to rely more heavily on the labor of imported
African slaves.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.I.D

14. Which European country had the least significant presence in the Western Hemisphere during
the 15th and 16th centuries?
a. France
b. Holland
c. Portugal
d. England
ANS: D
a.

b.

c.
d.

Feedback
France tried to follow Spains example in establishing a presence in the New World after
1524. It made an effort to establish a colony near the St. Lawrence River in the 1540s,
but this settlement did not succeed.
The Dutch East India Company sponsored exploration of the region around present-day
New York City and the Hudson River in the late 16th and very early 17th centuries. The
Dutch also sponsored sugar plantations in Brazil.
Portugal played a significant role in the exploration of the Americas in the 16th century.
Although it would eventually become the major European power in North America,
England had no significant presence in the Western Hemisphere until the English settlers
founded the colony of Jamestown in 1607.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.II

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15. Since the 15th and 16th centuries, what has been the most enduring legacy from Spanish
conquest and exploration of the Americas?
a. Increased wealth for Spain
b. Promotion of a large empire
c. Converts to Christianity
d. Greater standing in the world
ANS: C
a.
b.

c.

d.

Feedback
Spain acquired tremendous wealth from its conquest of the New World in the 15th and
16th centuries, but this wealth did not endure.
Spain created a large empire from its conquest of the New World in the 16th century, but
after the English, French, and Dutch established colonies in North America in the 17th
century, the size of Spains empire gradually diminished.
Spanish conquest of the New World in the 15th and 16th centuries has created an
enduring legacy of Christianity in the region. Christianity has endured in the Americas
since the arrival of the Spanish.
Spains standing in the world increased tremendously as a result of its conquest of the
Americas in the 16th century, but the rise of the British Empire ultimately eclipsed
Spains international standing in the 17th century.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.II.A

16. What was the most important 15th- and 16th-century goal of Spanish conquest and
exploration as revealed by the conquistadores?
a. Increased wealth of Spain
b. Promotion of empire
c. Converts to Christianity
d. Increased status
ANS: A
a.

b.
c.

Feedback
The Spanish men who came to conquer the New World did so primarily to acquire its
wealth. The conquistadores looted the Aztecs and the Incas and exploited the wealth of
the New Worlds mines. They were more interested in riches than in building the
Spanish empire, converting Native Americans, or increasing the status of their native
country.
The conquistadores were not motivated primarily by an interest in building an empire
for Spain. Their actions were motivated by other goals.
The conquistadores did not conquer the New World because they had a goal to convert
the indigenous people to Christianity. Their actions were motivated by other goals.

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d.

The conquistadores of the 15th and 16th century were not primarily interested in
increasing the status of Spain. Their actions were motivated by other goals.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.II.A

17. Which of the following was not a native crop from the Americas that stimulated trade and/or
population in Europe?
a. Tobacco
b. Cacao
c. Rice
d. Potatoes
ANS: C
a.
b.
c.

d.

Feedback
Tobacco was a native crop from the Americas, and it became a particularly important
source of trade between Europe and the Americas.
Cacao was native to the Americas. It became an important commodity in trade between
Europe and the Americas.
Rice did not originate in the Americas, but it became an important crop in Englands
plantation colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries. Rice became an important component
of trade between the English colonies and Europe.
Potatoes were native to the Americas.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.II.B

18. Spanish mineral wealth from the Americas caused a shift toward
a. socialism.
b. feudalism.
c. mercantilism.
d. capitalism.
ANS: D
a.
b.
c.

d.

Feedback
The wealth that Spain acquired as a result of American silver and gold did not cause a
shift toward socialism.
The wealth that Spain acquired as a result of American silver and gold fueled a shift
away from feudalism, not toward it.
The wealth that Spain acquired as a result of American silver and gold did not cause a
shift toward mercantilism. Mercantilism relied on a positive balance of trade based on
finished goods, not mineral wealth.
Spains interest in the accumulation of mineral wealth in the Americas caused a shift
toward capitalism. Spains emphasis on mining required large capital investments and

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large groups of laborers, but it also resulted in tremendous profits. Spains mineral
wealth stimulated the expansion of capitalism in Europe.
MSC: Key Concepts: 1.2.II.B
19. Sextant technology revolutionized
a. international trade and exploration.
b. manufacturing and processing.
c. military combat.
d. the fur trade.
ANS: A
a.

b.
c.
d.

Feedback
The invention of the sextantan instrument that was used to determine the angle
between a celestial object and the horizonrevolutionized navigation at sea and made
possible new developments in European trade and exploration.
Sextant technology did not revolutionize manufacturing and processing. These processes
were revolutionized by the invention of interchangeable parts in the late 18th century.
Sextant technology did not revolutionize military combat.
Sextant technology did not revolutionize the fur trade.

MSC: Key Concept 1.2.I.C

20. Over the centuries, the most effective means of civilizing natives to Spanish culture was
a. the mission system.
b. the encomienda system.
c. military occupation.
d. the distribution of mineral wealth.
ANS: A
a.

b.
c.
d.

Feedback
Some Spanish criticized the brutality of the conquistadores and the encomienda and
sought to Christianize the native people. Spanish missionary efforts to assimilate the
natives to Spanish culture were more successful than the means used by other Spanish
conquerors.
The encomienda system was brutal and geared toward exploiting Indian labor, not
assimilating Indians to Spanish culture.
Spanish military occupation resulted in the destruction of Indian culture but not in the
assimilation of Native Americans to Spanish culture.
The leaders of New Spain extracted mineral wealth from Native Americans rather than
distributing it among them. This strategy was never employed as an effort to assimilate
the native population to Spanish culture.

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MSC: Key Concepts: 1.3.I.A|1.3.II.A

21. Juan de Oates 1598 subjugation of natives who resisted Spanish rule is best illustrated by
his attack against natives in
a. Stono.
b. Acoma.
c. Santa Fe.
d. San Antonio.
ANS: B
a.
b.
c.
d.

Feedback
Juan de Oate did not attack natives in Stono. The Stono Rebellion was a slave rebellion
that took place in South Carolina in 1739.
Juan de Oate responded to the Acoma pueblo revolt by ruthlessly suppressing it, killing
800 men, women, and children.
Juan de Oate did not attack the natives who resisted Spanish rule in Santa Fe. His
suppression of a rebellion took place in another area.
Juan de Oate did not attack the natives who resisted Spanish rule in San Antonio. His
suppression of a rebellion took place in another area.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.3.I.B|1.3.II.A

22. In 1573, the Comprehensive Orders for New Discoveries placed pacification of natives
primarily in the hands of
a. conquistadores.
b. encomederos.
c. missionaries.
d. regional governors.
ANS: C
a.
b.

c.
d.

Feedback
The Comprehensive Orders for New Discoveries took the task of pacifying the native
population out of the hands of the conquistadores.
The Comprehensive Orders for New Discoveries did not place the pacification of
natives in the hands of encomederos. Encomederos had ruled the natives under the
system of encomienda.
The Comprehensive Orders for New Discoveries placed the pacification of the native
population into the hands of missionaries.
The Comprehensive Orders for New Discoveries did not place the pacification of
natives into the hands of regional governors.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.3.I.B

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23. Sixteenth- through nineteenth-century North American Indians most resisted European
beliefs about
a. fur trade and trapping.
b. land ownership.
c. agriculture.
d. family structure.
ANS: B
a.
b.

c.
d.

Feedback
North American Indians were crucial participants in the French fur trade in the 16th
through 19th centuries.
North American Indians strongly resisted European beliefs about land ownership in the
16th through 19th centuries, continuing to assert their right to lands to which Europeans
had claimed possession.
Many North American Indians resisted European beliefs about agriculture, but they
employed greater resistance to other elements of Europeans culture and society.
North American Indians did not resist European beliefs about family structure more
strongly than any other element of Europeans culture and society.

MSC: Key Concepts: 1.3.II.A

24. Sixteenth-century African slaves in the Western Hemisphere best preserved autonomy and
linguistic traditions through
a. domestic service roles.
b. expanded land ownership.
c. large-scale rebellion.
d. maroon communities in the Caribbean.
ANS: D
a.

b.

c.
d.

Feedback
African slaves in the Western Hemisphere were not able to preserve their autonomy and
linguistic traditions through domestic service roles. Domestic service tasks typically
required Africans to work alongside whites and to learn English.
Sixteenth-century African slaves in the Western Hemisphere did not have access to land
ownership. They could not rely on land ownership to preserve their autonomy and
linguistic traditions.
Sixteenth-century African slaves in the Western Hemisphere did not engage in large
scale rebellions.
In the 16th century, African slaves in the Caribbean were sometimes able to escape from
their captors and form independent maroon communities. These communities allowed
African slaves to preserve their autonomy and linguistic traditions.

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MSC: Key Concepts: 1.3.II.B