Exploration Colonization Vocab

God

To spread Christianity (Catholic and Protestant) and stop the spread of Islam.

Gold

New sea trade routes to Asia, find gold and silver, and create new trade markets in colonies for raw materials and cash crops.

Glory

Earn international fame and wealth; build up nationalism for the country sailing for national pride.

Colony

Land controlled by another nation, often called the mother country; purpose is to extract raw materials and provide new trade markets.

Compass

Determines direction; of Chinese origin.

Astrolabe

Determines altitude of an object in the sky (sun, star, moon) to find location/latitude; from Arabs.

Caravel

A ship developed by the Portuguese, fast with multiple masts/sails, shallow for exploring coastlines, and could sail against the wind.

Cartographers

Map makers who improved maps with a better use of longitude and latitude.

Circumnavigate

To sail or travel all the way around something, particularly the world; Magellan’s crew was the first to do this.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portugal's prince who gathered experts to learn about navigation and helped Portugal find a sea route to East Asia.

Bartolomeu Dias

Portuguese explorer who reached the tip of Africa.

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer who discovered the first sea route to Asia by sailing around Africa to India.

King Ferdinand & Queen Isabella

Spanish monarchs who financially supported Columbus's voyage westward.

Columbus

Sailed in 1492 trying to reach Asia by going west; mistakenly landed in the Bahamas, thinking he was in the East Indies.

Columbian Exchange

Large-scale transfer of foods, plants, and animals between the Old World and New World due to cultural contact.

Amerigo Vespucci

Suggested Columbus discovered a 'New World'; cartographers later named land after him.

Magellan

Led the first successful circumnavigation of the world; discovered the Strait of Magellan.

Conquistadors

Spanish conquerors such as Cortes and Pizarro who sought riches and to Christianize natives.

Encomienda

System approving the enslavement of Native Americans by the Spanish monarchy.

Bartolome De Las Casa

Spanish priest who advocated for the end of the Encomienda system and opposed native slavery.

Mercantilism

Economic theory where the mother country controls trade in the colony, requiring all raw materials to be sent to it.

Cash Crops

Crops grown for economic value rather than personal use, such as sugar and tobacco.

Plantations

Large farms used to grow cash crops, historically dependent on slave labor.

Raw Materials

Natural resources in their basic state used to make goods, such as lumber and iron.

Manufactured Goods

Manmade products, often produced in Europe and sold back to the colonies.

Triangular Trade

Trade system between the Americas, Africa, and Europe involving slaves, raw materials, and manufactured goods.

Middle Passage

The voyage that brought captured Africans to the Americas, known for its harsh conditions, with a 20% mortality rate.

Olaudah Equiano

Author of the first slave narrative detailing his experiences during capture, transport, and enslavement.

Northwest Passage

A hypothetical sea route through North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific that does not exist.

Plymouth Colony

Founded by Pilgrims in 1620 for religious freedom and self-governance through the Mayflower Compact.

Puritans

English settlers who sought to remove Catholic traditions from the Church of England and settled for religious and economic reasons.

French Settlers

Focused on trading fish and fur; collaborated with Native Americans to maximize profits.

French and Indian War

Conflict between England and France over control of American territories, resulting in England's victory.