Spanish Conquests Practice Questions

Correct answer: Hernán Cortés

Hernán Cortés led the conquest of the Aztec Empire between 1519 and 1521. Francisco Pizarro is a tempting distractor because he conquered the Inca Empire, not the Aztecs.

Correct answer: Francisco Pizarro

Francisco Pizarro defeated the Inca Empire after capturing Atahualpa. Hernán Cortés is incorrect because his campaign was directed against the Aztec Empire.

Correct answer: Montezuma II

Montezuma II was seized by Cortés during the conquest of Tenochtitlan. Atahualpa ruled the Inca Empire and was captured by Pizarro.

Correct answer: Atahualpa

Atahualpa was captured at Cajamarca in 1532, marking a turning point in the conquest of Peru. Huayna Capac was an earlier Inca ruler who died before the Spanish invasion.

Correct answer: Tenochtitlan

Tenochtitlan was the magnificent capital of the Aztec Empire before its capture in 1521. Chichen Itza was a major Maya city, not an Aztec one, and Texcoco was an important Aztec Triple Alliance city but never the imperial capital. Cusco was the capital of the rival Inca Empire.

Correct answer: Cusco

Cusco served as the political and religious capital of the Inca Empire. Quito was an important northern Inca city but never the capital, and Machu Picchu was a royal estate and religious site rather than a seat of government. Cartagena was a Spanish colonial port city founded later.

Correct answer: Native allies and disease

Spanish success depended heavily on indigenous allies and the devastating impact of European diseases. Steam-powered weapons did not exist during the 16th century.

Correct answer: Smallpox

Smallpox spread rapidly among Native Americans, causing catastrophic mortality. Cholera became globally significant much later.

Correct answer: Treaty of Tordesillas

The Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 divided overseas territories between Spain and Portugal. The Treaty of Utrecht dealt with the War of the Spanish Succession.

Correct answer: Encomienda

The encomienda system granted colonists control over indigenous labor and tribute. The mita was an Inca labor draft later adapted by the Spanish.

Correct answer: 1521

The fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521 marked the end of the Aztec Empire. The year 1532 is associated with the conquest of the Inca Empire.

Correct answer: Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage initiated sustained Spanish expansion in the Americas. Magellan is associated with the first circumnavigation rather than the first Spanish contact.

Correct answer: Silver

Silver from mines such as Potosí greatly enriched the Spanish Empire. Copper was valuable but never matched silver's economic importance.

Correct answer: Capture of Atahualpa

The Battle of Cajamarca led to the capture of Atahualpa by Pizarro's forces. The Siege of Tenochtitlan belonged to the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Correct answer: Mexico

The Aztec Empire was centered in present-day Mexico. Peru was the core region of the Inca Empire.

Correct answer: Potosí

Potosí became one of the world's richest silver-producing centers under Spanish rule. Cusco was an Inca capital rather than a major silver mining center.

Correct answer: Christianity

Spanish rulers and missionaries emphasized the spread of Christianity as a justification for conquest. Buddhism had no role in Spanish imperial expansion.

Correct answer: Succession war

A civil war between Atahualpa and Huáscar left the Inca Empire politically divided. There was no Mongol invasion of South America.

Correct answer: Isabella I and Ferdinand II

Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II sponsored Columbus's 1492 expedition. Charles V ruled Spain later during much of the conquest period.

Correct answer: Tlaxcalans

The Tlaxcalans allied with Cortés and played a decisive role in defeating the Aztecs. The Maya were a separate civilization and did not provide this crucial alliance.