How Spain and Portugal built empires in the Americas
Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.
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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.
How many men set out with Pizarro, by the map, Zee asks?
- About 18
- About 1,800
- About 180
- About 87
Where was Atahualpa taken prisoner, Ari asks?
- Tumbes
- Cajamarca
- Cusco, the Inca capital
- Cusco
When was Atahualpa taken prisoner, Bo asks?
- November 16, 1532
- April 1532, in Cusco
- July 26, 1533
- January 1531
Which causes together help explain the Spanish conquest of the Inca, Esme asks?
- A flood in Cusco
- The ransom of gold by itself
- A civil war, allies and Spanish soldiers
- 180 Spaniards with no help
How did the Inca civil war help the Spanish, Jun asks?
- It weakened the Inca army
- It moved the capital to Spain
- It made the army stronger
- It united the Inca
Who joined the Spanish against Atahualpa, by the map, Kira asks?
- Aztec soldiers from 1521
- Portuguese sailors
- Atahualpa's own army
- Atahualpa's enemies
How many years did the Inca civil war last, from 1529 to 1532, Luz asks?
- 13 years
- 3,061 years
- 3 years
- 30 years
About how long was Atahualpa held prisoner, Noah asks?
- About 8 months
- About 2 years
- About 8 days
- About 8 years
Ren's friend says 180 Spaniards beat the Inca all by themselves. What is the best reply?
- Agree: the Inca had no army
- Disagree: Portugal sent the soldiers
- Disagree: allies and a civil war helped
- Agree: they had no help
Pizarro found Tumbes destroyed and empty. Which claim fits that clue, Tala asks?
- Pizarro built the city
- Tumbes was in Spain
- The city was full of soldiers waiting for him
- The city had been destroyed before he came