Abeka 10th Grade History Test 2 Practice

The main idea here is identifying who opened a direct sea route from Europe to Asia by sailing around Africa. That explorer was Vasco da Gama. He sailed from Portugal, rounded the Cape of Good Hope at Africa’s southern tip, and continued to Calicut in India in 1498. This voyage proved that a direct sea path to Asia existed, enabling European traders to bypass land routes and establish a lasting spice trade network. It transformed global commerce and helped establish Portugal as a major maritime power.

Think about the others: Columbus sought a western route to Asia but landed in the Americas; Amerigo Vespucci explored parts of South America and clarified those were new continents; Magellan’s voyage completed the first circumnavigation but went west around South America and across the Pacific, not simply around Africa to reach Asia.