WHAP Unit 4 Quiz

Land Empires

Refers to large, contiguous empires that relied primarily on expanding and controlling adjacent territories rather than sea trade, including major powers during this era like the Manchus (Qing Dynasty), Mughals, Ottomans, Safavids, Russians, and American empires like the Inca and Aztec.

Maritime Empires

Empires that built their wealth, power, and territorial reach primarily through sea travel, naval power, and control of trade routes and coastal colonies, fundamentally transforming states such as Portugal, Spain, the Dutch (Netherlands), France, and Britain.

Magnetic compass

A critical navigational tool, originally developed in China, that determines direction using Earth's magnetic field, allowing European sailors to maintain a consistent bearing and venture long distances away from land across open oceans.

Astrolabe

An ancient astronomical instrument, significantly improved by Muslim scholars and adopted by European mariners, used to calculate latitude by determining the altitude of celestial bodies like the sun or stars, thus aiding in open-sea navigation.

Caravel ship (Caravel)

A highly maneuverable, versatile sailing ship, typically around 75 ft long, developed by Portugal and Spain; its relatively small size and shallow draft made it ideal for coastal exploration and navigating rivers, contributing significantly to early European voyages.

Cartography

The art and science of map-making, which saw dramatic improvements during this period due to advancements in navigation (like the astrolabe and compass), allowing for the creation of more accurate and detailed global maps essential for long-distance trade and exploration.

Primogeniture laws

European laws of inheritance that dictated the entirety of a father's estate be passed down to the eldest legitimate son, often preventing younger wealthy sons from owning land; this lack of opportunity encouraged them to seek fortune, land, and adventure through overseas exploration and colonization.

Omani-European rivalry

A significant economic and military challenge European traders faced, particularly the Portuguese, from established Middle Eastern traders (specifically the Omani) who sought to maintain control over key trade routes in the Indian Ocean in the 16th century, leading to conflict and competition for maritime dominance.

Prince Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese royal figure (died 1460) who played a leading role in sponsoring and funding exploration; he combined ancient and new sailing knowledge, establishing a naval school and pushing Portugal to become the first European nation to explore the African coastal communities.

Sir Isaac Newton's discovery of gravitation

A major scientific breakthrough that, in a navigational context, led to an increased and more accurate understanding of oceanic tides by explaining the gravitational pull of the moon and sun on Earth's waters, aiding maritime planning.

Astronomical charts

Any map of stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects; improved and widely disseminated charts aided the field of cartography and navigation by providing accurate reference points for sailors to determine their location and direction at sea.

Rudder (New type)

A technological advance imported from China that attached a steering device to the stern (rear) of the ship, providing better steering control and ship maneuverability, especially in larger vessels and rough seas, superior to older steering oars.

Lateen sail

A triangular sail that was developed by Arab sailors in the Indian Ocean and adopted by Europeans; its design allowed ships to sail against the wind (tacking) more effectively than square sails, significantly improving travel efficiency and speed.

Carrack

A large, sturdy sailing ship, typically around 150 ft long, developed by Portugal; it was a three- or four-masted vessel, used mainly as a cargo carrier for long oceanic voyages.

Fluyt

A specialized cargo ship, typically about 80 ft long, developed by the Dutch; its design was cheaper to build and required a smaller crew, making it highly efficient for bulk transport and giving the Dutch a competitive advantage in global trade.

"Gold, God, Glory"

The three main motivating factors that drove European states to sponsor exploration and colonization: seeking new material wealth (gold/silver/resources), spreading Christianity (God), and expanding territory and national power (Glory).

Mercantilism

The prevailing economic theory of the time that measured a country's wealth and power by the amount of gold and silver (bullion) it held; it necessitated heavy government involvement to maximize exports (selling goods) and minimize imports (buying goods) to ensure a favorable balance of trade.

Trading post empire

A maritime control system created by the Portuguese (and later others) where they established a series of forts and fortified coastal locations along trade routes (like the Indian Ocean) to control trade rather than large inland territories, aiming for a monopoly over the spice trade and requiring all vessels to purchase a license.

Zheng He (1405 CE)

A highly skilled Chinese Muslim admiral who led massive treasure fleet naval expeditions for the Ming Dynasty across Southeast Asia, India, and East Africa; these voyages demonstrated China's naval power before the Ming state chose to curtail overseas exploration.

Bartolomeu Dias (1488)

A Portuguese Explorer who was the first to successfully sail around the Cape of Good Hope (the southern tip of Africa) but was forced to turn back to Portugal before reaching India due to his crew's mutiny.

Vasco Da Gama (1498)

A Portuguese Explorer who successfully followed Dias's route, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and sailed all the way to India; he claimed the land and established a direct sea route for Portugal, bypassing traditional land-based trade.

Christopher Columbus (1492)

An explorer sponsored by the Spanish monarchs whose primary goal was to find a new, faster spice route to Asia by sailing west; his voyages across the Atlantic connected the Eastern and Western hemispheres, initiating the Columbian Exchange.

Ferdinand Magellan (1519)

An explorer sponsored by the Spanish government whose expedition was the first to successfully circumnavigate the globe (though Magellan died in the Philippines); his voyage proved the world was round and much larger than previously estimated.

Hernan Cortes (1519)

A Spanish conquistador who, with indigenous alliances and the aid of smallpox, conquered the powerful Aztec Empire in 1521 and established the Spanish colony of New Spain in Mesoamerica.

Francisco Pizarro (1532)

A Spanish conquistador who, through military force and internal manipulation, conquered the vast Incan Empire in the Andes Mountains of South America, adding their wealth and territory to the Spanish Empire.

Galleons

Large, multi-decked sailing ships, originally used by the Spanish as armed cargo carriers; they were famously used to transport huge quantities of silver from American mines (like Potosí) across the Pacific Ocean to Manila in the Philippines.

Manila

The main port and capital city in the Spanish Philippines that served as the crucial hub for the trans-Pacific trade; it was where American silver was exchanged for Chinese luxury goods (silk, porcelain).

Northwest Passage

A legendary, non-existent water route through or around North America to East Asia that French, English, and Dutch explorers repeatedly sought, hoping to find a faster alternative to the Spanish- and Portuguese-controlled southern routes.

Jacques Cartier (1534)

A French explorer who sailed up the St. Lawrence River in modern-day Canada, claiming the territory for France and laying the foundation for New France.

John Cabot (1497)

An English explorer who explored the coast of North America, claiming a territory that stretched from Newfoundland down to Chesapeake Bay for England.

Capt. James Cook

A significant Pacific explorer who led three major expeditions for Britain, most famously charting the eastern coast of Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the Pacific; he died in Hawai'i in 1779.

Henry Hudson (1609)

A Dutch explorer who, while searching for the Northwest Passage, explored the East Coast of North America, particularly the Hudson River Valley, leading to the establishment of New Amsterdam.

New Amsterdam

The area claimed by the Dutch which included the Hudson River Valley and Manhattan Island; it became a vital, multi-ethnic trading center (node) in the Dutch Transatlantic Trade Network until it was seized by the British and renamed New York.

Columbian Exchange

The massive, reciprocal exchange of new plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Eastern (Old) and Western (New) hemispheres following Christopher Columbus's voyages, fundamentally reshaping global biology and demographics.

The Great Dying

Catastrophic depopulation of indigenous peoples in the Americas that occurred after European contact, primarily caused by the lack of acquired immunities to Old World diseases (like smallpox and measles), resulting in a massive labor shortage that fueled the use of enslaved Africans.

Cash crops

Agricultural products (like sugar, tobacco, and cotton) grown primarily on large plantations in the Americas, requiring coerced labor (slavery, encomienda), and whose output was intended almost entirely for export to Europe and the Middle East for profit.

Joint-Stock Companies

Businesses in which investors purchase shares (stocks) to finance large, high-risk ventures like exploration, colonization, and trade; this provided limited liability, meaning an investor could only lose the amount of their initial investment, making large-scale investment feasible.

British East India Company (EIC)

A powerful joint-stock company chartered in 1600 that began a commercial relationship with the Mughal Empire in India, establishing small forts for trade and eventually gaining massive political and military control over large parts of India.

Dutch East India Company (VOC)

The Dutch counterpart to the EIC, chartered in 1602; this powerful joint-stock company gained control over the spice trade in the East Indies (Indonesia), often through military conquest and establishing a trade monopoly.

Sepoys

Indian soldiers who were recruited, trained, and served in the British (EIC) military forces; their use by the EIC allowed the company to exploit tensions between local Hindu and Muslim populations to gain greater control over Indian territories.

New Spain

The vast Spanish colonial territory established by Hernan Cortes in Mesoamerica after the 1521 fall of the Aztec Empire; its capital was built directly on the ruins of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.

Lima

The capital city established by the Spaniards on the coast of Peru after their conquest of the Inca Empire; it became a major center of Spanish colonial administration and trade in South America.

Theocracy (Aztec)

A form of government where the ruler is also recognized as the religious leader or a divine figure; the Aztec government was structured this way, blending political and spiritual authority.

Sikhism

A syncretic religion developed in India during the Mughal period, blending elements of Hinduism and Sufi Islam; it is characterized by its belief in one God and the equality of all people, often putting its followers at odds with the ruling Muslim Mughals.

Line of Demarcation (1493)

An imaginary north-south line drawn by Pope Alexander VI shortly after Columbus's first voyage to separate Spanish and Portuguese territories in the Americas to avoid conflict.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

A formal agreement between Spain and Portugal, brokered by the Catholic Church, that formally divided the non-European world; it reserved all lands west of a specific meridian through eastern South America to Spain (most of the Americas) and all lands east of the line to Portugal (Brazil and Africa/Asia).

Great Peace of Montreal (1701)

A significant peace agreement between the French colony of New France and over forty Indigenous nations, most notably the Iroquois Confederacy; it secured French access to the interior for the lucrative fur trade for decades.

Encomienda system

An economic and coercive labor system established by Spain in the early 1500s that granted Spanish settlers (encomenderos) the right to demand labor or tribute from indigenous people in exchange for providing them with food, shelter, and Christian instruction, essentially enslaving them.

Hacienda system

A system that arose when Spanish landowners developed large agricultural estates (haciendas) that grew crops like wheat, fruit, and sugar; they relied on various forms of coerced labor from the local indigenous population who were forced to live on the estates.

Mit'a (Mit'a labor)

An ancient Incan coercive labor system originally used for public works, which the Spanish repurposed and intensified to draft huge numbers of indigenous laborers, primarily for dangerous work in the silver mines like Potosí, leading to high mortality rates.

Casta System

A rigid, new racial and social hierarchy established by the Spanish in Latin American colonies; it was based on race and birth location, assigning people specific social levels at baptism, with Peninsulares at the top.

Peninsulares

The social group with the most power, land, and political authority in the Spanish colonies; they were the smallest group, consisting of people who were born in Spain (the Iberian Peninsula) and moved to the colonies.

Creoles

The social group ranked second to the Peninsulares; they were the children of Peninsulares who were born in New Spain (the colonies) and typically held significant wealth but were barred from the highest political and religious positions.

Mestizo

A person classified in the Casta system as being of combined European (Spanish) and indigenous American descent.

Zambo

A person classified in the Casta system as being of combined indigenous American and African descent.

Cottage Industry

A system of manufacturing or production carried out in one's home, often involving the production of textiles by peasants for a merchant entrepreneur (putting-out system); it was encouraged by mercantilist governments to maximize domestic production and exports.

Adam Smith

An influential Scottish economic thinker who challenged the system of mercantilism; his 1776 work, The Wealth of Nations, advocated for free trade and self-regulating markets driven by individual self-interest (the invisible hand).

Chattel slavery

The most brutal form of forced labor where a person is treated as tangible personal property (chattel), movable between locations, and could be bought and sold like any other commodity, most commonly applied to enslaved Africans in the Americas.

Triangular Trade

A highly profitable, three-legged trading pattern across the Atlantic; it involved shipping European manufactured goods to Africa (for slaves), transporting slaves to the Americas (Middle Passage), and shipping American raw products (sugar, molasses, tobacco) back to Europe.

Middle Passage

The devastating, second leg of the Triangular Trade route, involving the forced, inhumane shipment of captured slaves from Africa to the Caribbean and the Americas; it was characterized by immense cruelty and high mortality rates.

Bullion

A term for gold and silver in the form of bars, ingots, or plate; the accumulation of bullion by maximizing exports and minimizing imports was the central goal of the economic policy of mercantilism.

Viceroy (Viceroyalty)

The king's representative appointed to administer a vast colonial territory (viceroyalty) in the Spanish and Portuguese empires; the viceroy served as the local ruler and head of the civil, military, and judicial governments.

Audiencia

A division of Spanish royal authority within a viceroyalty, typically serving as a high court or appellate court that administered royal justice and checked the power of the viceroy.

Syncretism

The blending or fusion of two or more cultural or religious beliefs and practices; a major example in the New World is the Virgin of Guadalupe, which fused indigenous and Catholic religious concepts.

Metacom's War (late 17th century)

Also known as King Philip's War, this was the final major effort of the indigenous people (led by Metacom, or King Philip) to drive the British from New England; it resulted in the eventual defeat and subjugation of the Wampanoag people and expansion of English control.

Ana Nzinga

A powerful 17th-century ruler of Ndongo (present-day Angola) who fiercely resisted the Portuguese slave trade and colonization; she successfully took over the neighboring state of Matamba, formed an alliance with the Dutch, and offered freedom to any enslaved Africans who reached her kingdom.

Serfdom

An oppressive institution in Russia where serfs (peasants) were legally and forcefully tied to the land they worked and their noble landlords, long after the practice had largely ended in Western Europe, ensuring a constant labor supply for the nobility.

Mirs

Village communities or communes in Russia; these were jointly controlled by the small landholders among the peasant farmers and were the mechanism through which the government collected taxes and labor from the peasantry.

Cossack

Fierce, skilled warriors who often consisted of runaway serfs and peasants in Russia; they were sometimes hired by the Russian government as mercenaries to defend the volatile borders against foreign forces and maintain domestic order.

Yemelyan Pugachev

A Cossack who, in 1774, led the most significant peasant rebellion against the rule of Catherine the Great in Russia; he falsely claimed to be her dead husband, Peter III, and promised the abolition of serfdom before being captured and executed.

Zemstvos

Local district assemblies or councils established in Russia under Catherine the Great; they were intended to give the nobility some power in local government in exchange for their support and cooperation in maintaining tighter control over the peasants and serfs.

Maratha

A Hindu warrior group that successfully fought against the powerful Muslim Mughals (1680-1707) in India, ultimately leading to the decline of the Mughal Empire and the creation of the independent Hindu Maratha Empire.

Pueblo Revolt (1680)

A major uprising in New Mexico by the indigenous Pueblo and Apache peoples against Spanish colonizers; the revolt was primarily fueled by the Spanish efforts to force religious conversions to Catholicism and suppress indigenous religious practices.

Maroon Wars (1728-1740 and 1795-1796)

Conflicts fought primarily in Jamaica where Maroons (communities of formerly enslaved people who had escaped and formed independent settlements) fought for their freedom and sovereignty against the British colonial authorities.

Gloucester County Rebellion (1663)

The first recorded slave revolt in what is now the United States (Virginia); it involved a conspiracy between enslaved Africans and white indentured servants who planned to rise up and demand their freedom.

Stono Rebellion (1739)

The largest slave uprising in the British mainland colonies, occurring in South Carolina; a group of enslaved people attempted to march to Spanish Florida for freedom before being suppressed by the colonial militia.

Glorious Revolution (1688)

A bloodless political revolt in England where King James II was overthrown; it resulted in the ascension of William and Mary II and significantly strengthened the power of Parliament relative to the monarchy.

Tokugawa Sakoku

A period of national seclusion in Japan lasting from the 17th to the 19th centuries; the policy ("closed country") was enforced by the Tokugawa Shogunate to prevent foreign influence (especially Christianity) and maintain political stability and the centralized government structure, though limited trade continued.

Virgin of Guadalupe

A highly significant figure in Latin American Catholicism that represents a major example of syncretism between indigenous and European religious beliefs; it is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to an indigenous man, Juan Diego, in 1531 near Mexico City, resulting in a cultural fusion that helped convert millions of native people to Catholicism.

Wealth of Nations (1776)

The groundbreaking book written by the Scottish economist Adam Smith that argued against the economic system of mercantilism; it advocated for a system of free trade where markets are self-regulating and driven by the concept of the "invisible hand," laying the foundation for modern capitalism.