The COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE, Spanish Exploration, and Conquest [APUSH Unit 1 Topic 4] 1.4

This set of flashcards covers key concepts and vocabulary related to the Colombian Exchange and its effects.

Colombian Exchange

The transfer of food, animals, minerals, people, and diseases between Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

Disease Impact

The most significant factor contributing to the fall of Tenochtitlan and the decline of native populations due to the introduction of smallpox.

Feudalism

An economic system in which peasants worked on the lands of nobles in exchange for protection.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership and the free exchange of goods.

Mercantilism

An economic policy that relies on heavy governmental direction and intervention.

Middle Passage

The brutal journey enslaved Africans endured across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.

Joint-stock companies

A new model of funding exploration that privatized financial risk and responsibility.

Spanish Colonialism

The process by which Spain established colonies and exploited resources in the Americas.

Animal Introductions

The transfer of animals like horses, pigs, and cattle from Europe to the Americas, transforming native diets and lifestyles.

Mineral Wealth

The significant quantities of gold and silver plundered by Spain from the Incan and Aztec empires.