Spain and the ‘New World’, c1490-c1555 | Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0)
Spain and the ‘New World’, c1490-c1555
- 113 questions
- 9 subtopics
- Paper 2
- Paper 2
Spain and the ‘New World’, c1490–c1555 is examined in Paper 2, Period study and British depth study.
It covers Spanish exploration, c1490–1512, Columbus reaches the Americas, Spanish claims in the Caribbean, the start of an empire, the conquest of Mexico, impact of Spain in the Americas, Pizarro and the conquest of the Incas, expansion of empire, c1528–c1555 and impact of the 'New World' on Spain.
Sample questions from Spain and the ‘New World’, c1490-c1555
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Spanish exploration, c1490–1512
Name two ambitions abroad that Spanish rulers held around 1490 apart from reaching Asia.
Show the answer
Seizing ports and territory in North Africa, and winning control in Italy, especially the kingdom of Naples, in competition with France. -
Columbus reaches the Americas
What first convinced Columbus that the islands held gold?
Show the answer
Taino people wore small gold ornaments in their noses and ears, and told him of an inland region where more could be dug. -
Spanish claims in the Caribbean
Why did the founding of Santo Domingo in 1496 matter?
Show the answer
Built by his brother Bartholomew on the south coast of Hispaniola, it became the capital of Spanish America and the base from which later expeditions were fitted out. -
The start of an empire
Who conquered Cuba, and when?
Show the answer
Diego Velázquez, who took the island with about 300 men between 1511 and 1514. -
The conquest of Mexico
Why did the Tlaxcalans, having fought Cortés for two weeks, then become his allies?
Show the answer
They were an unconquered people ringed by Aztec land and raided for sacrificial victims, so they joined him with thousands of warriors to strike at the empire. -
Impact of Spain in the Americas
What happened to Aztec religion after the conquest?
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The temples were pulled down and human sacrifice stopped, and friars baptised the people and required them to worship as Catholics. -
Pizarro and the conquest of the Incas
What did Pizarro find when he reached Tumbes again in 1532?
Show the answer
The prosperous port he remembered had been wrecked and emptied in the fighting between the two claimants to the throne. -
Expansion of empire, c1528–c1555
Why did the encomienda come to be condemned?
Show the answer
The duty to protect and teach was ignored while the demands for work in the fields and mines were not, so in practice it became forced labour that killed those held under it.
The 9 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish exploration, c1490–1512 | The end of the Reconquista, the crusading spirit, Spain's other ambitions, Portugal's refusal of Columbus, Isabella's backing and his rewards, the three ships, landfall on 12 October 1492 and the crossing's troubles. | 11 |
| Columbus reaches the Americas | Cuba and Hispaniola, Columbus's belief he had reached Asia, La Navidad and the fate of its garrison, gold and the Tainos, the Caribs, why gold mattered, Portugal's objection, the Pope's line of 1493 and Tordesillas. | 13 |
| Spanish claims in the Caribbean | The fleet of 1493, La Isabela, the later voyages, Columbus's fall as governor, Santo Domingo, the tribute system, the collapse of the Tainos, Ovando, crown control of trade and labour, and the Laws of Burgos. | 20 |
| The start of an empire | Balboa's sighting and claiming of the Pacific in 1513, why it mattered, Velázquez's conquest of Cuba, Hatuey, Cuba as a staging post, and Magellan's voyage from 1519 to Elcano's return in 1522. | 10 |
| The conquest of Mexico | Cortés's force of 1519, Vera Cruz and the wrecked ships, Malinche, the Tlaxcalan alliance, Montezuma's welcome and death, the Noche Triste, the siege of Tenochtitlan, Cuauhtémoc's surrender and why the Aztecs fell. | 10 |
| Impact of Spain in the Americas | Cortés as Governor of New Spain, Mexico City, encomiendas, friars and crops, the end of Aztec religion, disease, working life, the fate of the ruling class, and Panama as the base for the Pacific. | 10 |
| Pizarro and the conquest of the Incas | Pizarro's royal licence, Huayna Capac's death and the war of his sons, the expedition of 1530, San Miguel, Cajamarca and Atahuallpa's ransom and execution, Manco Inca, the siege of Cuzco and what conquest brought. | 16 |
| Expansion of empire, c1528–c1555 | The viceroy and the two viceroyalties, the encomienda and why it was condemned, Las Casas, the New Laws and the settlers' revolt, silver at Potosí and Zacatecas, forced labour in the mines and La Paz. | 11 |
| Impact of the 'New World' on Spain | The royal fifth, treasure convoys, Charles V's wars, bankers' claims, rising prices, licences for the slave trade, new foods, tobacco and cochineal, the House of Trade, the Council of the Indies and distance. | 12 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby options
Edexcel GCSE History Active Recall Guide
Every option, not just this one. 2,881 questions with their answers.