European Colonization Motivations

Name:

Date:

📚 Part 1: Multiple Choice & Matching

1. Colonization is best defined as:

A process of trading equally with Indigenous peoples

Establishing control over another land and its people

A type of long-distance marriage

2. Which of the following European nations established colonies or settlements in North America? (Check all that apply)

England

France

Spain

The Netherlands

Portugal

3. Why did many European nations search for the Northwest Passage?

To find a faster sea route to Asia for trade

To find gold buried in the Arctic

To establish missions only in tropical climates

4. Match the term on the left with the best description on the right. Draw a line from left to right.

A. Joint-stock company

B. Mercantilism

C. Mission

D. Northwest Passage

1. A belief that colonies provide raw materials to enrich the mother country

2. A settlement to convert Indigenous peoples to a religion and extend influence

3. A business where investors share costs, risks, and profits of voyages

4. A hoped-for water route through North America to Asia

5. Identify two economic reasons Europeans established colonies in North America. (Brief)

6. Explain, in 2–3 sentences, how a joint-stock company supported colonization.

7. Compare the primary goals of Spain and England in North America. Write one short sentence for each nation.

8. Explain how colonization affected Indigenous peoples’ lands, resources, or communities. Give one specific example or idea.

9. You are an investor deciding whether to fund a colonial voyage. In one sentence, state one benefit and one risk of investing in a colony.