1. Spain Begins to Explore

2. Questions from page 74
How did feuding among Spaniards slow Spain’s completion of Reconquista?
The division among their forces, and fighting among themselves, kept them from focusing on Reconquista.
What political and economic motives led Ferdinand and Isabella to fund Columbus’ first voyage?
A new route to Asia would open up a direct trade route for Spain, and this would gain Spain great wealth in trading, but also extend its power and influence out beyond its borders.

3. Questions from page 74
How were the patterns Spanish soldiers learned in the Reconquista used in the Americas?
Once they conquered a territory, they would take the riches they acquired and move on to the next conquest.
How did the technology of Spanish warfare differ from that of the Aztecs?
The Spanish had steel armor and weapons, including guns and cannons; these were strong and advanced. The Aztecs had bows and arrows, clubs, and spears; these were very ineffective against the Spanish.

4. Questions from page 74
How did European diseases affect the Spanish conquest of the Americas?
European diseases spread quickly to the natives in the Americas and killed many of them, leaving the natives unable to fight back against the Spanish.

5. Questions from page 84
Why did Cortés imprison some of Pineda’s men when they met in Mexico?
When Pineda and his men first arrived in Mexico, Cortés and his men thought they were rivals.
What did the Narváez expedition show about the risks of exploration to find wealth?
There was no guarantee to find wealth, and any expedition needs to be properly prepared and supplied to be effective.

6. Questions from page 84
Give evidence to support the claim that Cabeza de Vaca was a resourceful person.
Rather than fight against the Natives, de Vaca worked with them, assisted them in their trading, and explored the area with them taking detailed notes of what he saw and experienced.
How did Cabeza de Vaca’s reports in Relación impact Spain?
The reports convinced many treasure hunters and explorers that the New World had many riches and treasures, motivating many to explore themselves.

7. Questions from page 84
Contrast the different ways American Indians treated the Spaniards they encountered.
Some treated the Europeans with kindness, but many enslaved any outsiders. Indians could give the Europeans honored positions in their societies provided they earned them.