Lesson 3

3 Spanish claims in the Caribbean Quiz: Pearson Edexcel History, Unit 9

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3, Spanish claims in the Caribbean: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0), Unit 9: Spain and the ‘New World’, c1490–c1555, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which city did Columbus's brother found as a Spanish colony in 1496 on Hispaniola?

    • Cartagena
    • Panama City
    • Havana
    • Santo Domingo

  2. What was the main goal of Spain's Caribbean trade monopoly?

    • Equal shared wealth
    • Free global trade
    • Cheaper consumer goods
    • Exclusive colonial profit

  3. Which religious group carried out missions in the Caribbean?

    • Puritan preachers
    • Lutheran pastors
    • Catholic missionaries
    • Quaker missionaries

  4. Which disease introduced by Europeans devastated Caribbean Indigenous peoples?

    • Tuberculosis
    • Cholera
    • Plague
    • Smallpox

  5. What did the Spanish crown require before any new Caribbean voyage?

    • Merchant election
    • Pope's blessing
    • Royal licences
    • Local chief's permit

  6. Which group was brought as enslaved labour after Indigenous workers declined?

    • Chinese workers
    • Italian merchants
    • Africans
    • Portuguese settlers

  7. Who founded Santo Domingo in 1496?

    • Diego Velazquez
    • Bartholomew Columbus
    • Hernan Cortes
    • Vasco Balboa

  8. What role did Columbus hold in the Spanish settlement of Hispaniola?

    • Chief inquisitor
    • Governor
    • Archbishop
    • Treasurer of Castile

  9. What caused the sudden halving of Indigenous populations in Caribbean colonies?

    • Battle casualties
    • Mass migration
    • Epidemic disease
    • Famine alone

  10. Under a Caribbean trade monopoly, where must merchants direct their goods?

    • Local island markets
    • Portuguese harbours
    • Any European port
    • Licensed Spanish ports

  11. Who had to approve any new exploration voyage in the Caribbean?

    • The Spanish crown
    • The local governor
    • The ship captain
    • Indigenous leaders

  12. What solution did Caribbean planters use to replace declining Indigenous labour?

    • Paid local workers
    • Indentured servants
    • Enslaved Africans
    • European volunteers

  13. Which city became the main administrative and trading base in the Caribbean?

    • Santo Domingo
    • San Juan
    • Havana
    • Panama City

  14. What was the main aim of Catholic missionaries like the Dominicans in the Caribbean?

    • Trading spices
    • Finding gold
    • Converting natives
    • Building forts

  15. How did the Spanish crown attempt to stop unauthorised private raids?

    • Royal licensing
    • Military occupation
    • Total trade embargoes
    • Banning all shipping

  16. Where were the economic profits of the Caribbean colonial system mainly concentrated?

    • Spain
    • African kingdoms
    • Italian merchants
    • Local islands

  17. Why was smallpox so devastating to Indigenous Caribbean populations?

    • No immunity
    • Poor medicine
    • Cold winters
    • Rotten food

  18. Why did the Spanish crown use strict licensing for Caribbean trade?

    • To reduce taxation
    • To control profits
    • To encourage smuggling
    • To appease rivals

  19. What became deeply rooted in the colonial Caribbean economy due to labour shortages?

    • Feudalism
    • Slavery
    • Sharecropping
    • Guild systems

  20. What was the main goal of Spain's imperial policy in the Caribbean?

    • Wealth and power
    • Religious conversion
    • Agricultural trade
    • Military alliances

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