Lesson 1

1 The start of an empire Quiz: Pearson Edexcel History, Unit 9

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 1, The start of an empire: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0), Unit 9: Spain and the ‘New World’, c1490–c1555, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. Which explorer crossed the Isthmus of Panama and claimed the Pacific in 1513?

    • Vasco Nunez de Balboa
    • Ferdinand Magellan
    • Hernan Cortes
    • Francisco Pizarro

  2. Which island did Spain conquer in 1511 as a base for mainland expeditions?

    • Cuba
    • Trinidad
    • Hispaniola
    • Jamaica

  3. Where did Ferdinand Magellan die in 1521?

    • Mexico
    • Madagascar
    • The Philippines
    • Brazil

  4. Which Spanish expedition first reached the Yucatan coast in 1517?

    • Ponce de Leon
    • Diego Velazquez
    • Hernandez de Cordoba
    • Hernando de Soto

  5. What is the name of the strait used by Magellan to enter the Pacific?

    • Malacca Strait
    • Strait of Gibraltar
    • Strait of Magellan
    • Bering Strait

  6. Which Governor of Cuba initially sponsored Hernan Cortes?

    • Francisco Pizarro
    • Pedro Alvarado
    • Diego Velazquez
    • Vasco Balboa

  7. Which ship under Juan Sebastian Elcano completed the first circumnavigation?

    • Victoria
    • Golden Hind
    • Santa Maria
    • Mayflower

  8. Who completed the first circumnavigation after Magellan died?

    • Amerigo Vespucci
    • Alonzo de Ojeda
    • Juan Sebastian Elcano
    • Martin Waldseemuller

  9. Balboa's claim of the Pacific ocean primarily opened up new routes toward where?

    • Asia
    • Antarctica
    • Africa
    • Europe

  10. What was the main strategic use of Cuba for the Spanish empire?

    • A fishing port
    • A sugar monopoly
    • A penal colony
    • Launching mainland expeditions

  11. Magellan's fleet passed South America and then sailed on. Which sea did it enter?

    • The Red Sea
    • The Pacific
    • The Black Sea
    • The Baltic

  12. Which crucial local factor helped Cortes defeat the Aztecs?

    • Royal navy support
    • European reinforcements
    • Aztec surrender
    • Indigenous allies

  13. What was the main challenge faced by Magellan's crew crossing the Pacific?

    • Tropical diseases
    • Pirate attacks
    • Shipwreck storms
    • Severe hunger

  14. Which ocean was Balboa the first European to view from America?

    • Arctic Ocean
    • Atlantic Ocean
    • Pacific Ocean
    • Indian Ocean

  15. Spanish conquest of Cuba primarily relied on which labour force?

    • Enslaved Asian miners
    • Voluntary local volunteers
    • Forced Indigenous labour
    • Paid European workers

  16. What was the primary commercial goal of Magellan's 1519 voyage?

    • Reaching Spice Islands
    • Mapping the Atlantic
    • Trading African slaves
    • Finding silver mines

  17. Magellan's voyage gave Spain a territorial claim to which islands?

    • The Philippines
    • The Moluccas
    • The Caribbean
    • The Bahamas

  18. Why did Cortes defy his governor's orders when sailing to Mexico?

    • Seeking a new governor
    • Fleeing a mutiny
    • Following royal decrees
    • Pursuing independent conquest

  19. Which combination best explains early Spanish success in the Americas?

    • Superior numbers
    • Weapons and allies
    • Naval blockade
    • Peaceful diplomacy

  20. Why did Spain and Portugal dispute the Moluccas in the 1520s?

    • Strategic naval bases
    • Large gold deposits
    • Agricultural land
    • Valuable spice trade

All Pearson Edexcel History quizzes