How Spain and Portugal built empires in the Americas

Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire (1531 to 1533)

   An arrow runs south from Panama along the coast of today's Ecuador, January 1531, labeled "Francisco Pizarro and about 180 men"; a stop at Tumbes, found destroyed and empty; an arrow inland to Cajamarca, labeled "November 16, 1532: Atahualpa taken prisoner"; a later arrow to Cusco, the Inca capital, in 1533. Key: a red arrow is the Spanish route; a crown is an Inca city; a broken line is the route of Spanish allies drawn from Atahualpa's enemies. Below the map: from 1529 to April 1532, the brothers Atahualpa and Huáscar fought a civil war for the throne, which weakened the Inca army. To win his freedom, Atahualpa promised a room filled with gold and twice that in silver. The Spanish executed him anyway, on July 26, 1533.

2. 1.

   How many men set out with Pizarro, by the map, Zee asks?

   • About 18
   • About 1,800
   • About 87
   • About 180
3. 2.

   When was Atahualpa taken prisoner, Bo asks?

   • April 1532, in Cusco
   • July 26, 1533
   • November 16, 1532
   • January 1531
4. 3.

   Which causes together help explain the Spanish conquest of the Inca, Esme asks?

   • A flood in Cusco
   • A civil war, allies and Spanish soldiers
   • 180 Spaniards with no help
   • The ransom of gold by itself
5. 4.

   How did the Inca civil war help the Spanish, Jun asks?

   • It weakened the Inca army
   • It united the Inca
   • It moved the capital to Spain
   • It made the army stronger
6. 5.

   Who joined the Spanish against Atahualpa, by the map, Kira asks?

   • Portuguese sailors
   • Aztec soldiers from 1521
   • Atahualpa's own army
   • Atahualpa's enemies
7. 6.

   How many years did the Inca civil war last, from 1529 to 1532, Luz asks?

   • 3 years
   • 30 years
   • 3,061 years
   • 13 years
8. 7.

   About how long was Atahualpa held prisoner, Noah asks?

   • About 2 years
   • About 8 days
   • About 8 years
   • About 8 months
9. 8.

   Atahualpa paid a huge ransom. Which sentence fits the map's note best, Pia asks?

   • He paid with Portuguese coins
   • The Spanish executed him anyway
   • The ransom ended the war at once
   • The Spanish freed him as promised
10. 9.

    Ren's friend says 180 Spaniards beat the Inca all by themselves. What is the best reply?

    • Disagree: allies and a civil war helped
    • Agree: the Inca had no army
    • Disagree: Portugal sent the soldiers
    • Agree: they had no help
11. 10.

    Pizarro found Tumbes destroyed and empty. Which claim fits that clue, Tala asks?

    • The city had been destroyed before he came
    • Tumbes was in Spain
    • Pizarro built the city
    • The city was full of soldiers waiting for him