Colonial America and Early European Exploration Quiz

Test your knowledge of Colonial America and the early explorers who shaped it. Discover key voyages, settlements, and explorers.

#1

Which country sponsored Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Americas in 1492?

Spain
England
France
Portugal
#2

Who was the first European explorer to reach present-day United States territory?

Christopher Columbus
Juan Ponce de León
Hernán Cortés
Amerigo Vespucci
#3

What was the name of the ship that transported the Pilgrims to Plymouth Colony in 1620?

Mayflower
Santa María
Susan Constant
Discovery
#4

Which English settlement in Virginia is considered the first permanent European settlement in North America?

Roanoke Colony
Jamestown
Plymouth Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
#5

Who is credited with establishing the fur trade in New France (Canada) and mapping much of northeastern North America?

Jacques Cartier
Samuel de Champlain
Louis Jolliet
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
#6

Which European explorer is known for his exploration of the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes region?

Hernando de Soto
John Cabot
Henry Hudson
Jacques Cartier
#7

Who led the first successful circumnavigation of the globe?

Ferdinand Magellan
Vasco da Gama
Amerigo Vespucci
Francisco Pizarro
#8

Who was the founder of the colony of Georgia, established in 1733?

John Winthrop
James Oglethorpe
William Penn
Roger Williams
#9

Which European nation established the colony of New Amsterdam, later renamed New York?

Spain
Netherlands
France
England
#10

Which European nation initially settled the area that is now New York City?

Spain
France
Netherlands
England
#11

Who was the first European to explore the Pacific Ocean, reaching the Philippines in 1521?

James Cook
Francisco Pizarro
Ferdinand Magellan
Hernando de Soto
#12

Which European explorer led the first expedition to reach the mainland of North America?

John Cabot
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Amerigo Vespucci
Giovanni da Verrazzano
#13

Who is credited with the first European exploration of the area that would become New York City?

Henry Hudson
John Cabot
Jacques Cartier
Giovanni da Verrazzano
#14

Who is often credited with discovering the mainland of North America for England?

Henry Hudson
John Cabot
Jacques Cartier
Giovanni da Verrazzano
#15

Which European explorer is credited with the first documented European landing on the coast of what is now the United States?

Christopher Columbus
Amerigo Vespucci
Leif Erikson
John Cabot

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