Age of Exploration

Age of Exploration

A period of European exploration and discovery from the late 15th century to the early 17th century.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese royal who promoted early maritime exploration.

Bartholomew Diaz

Portuguese explorer who rounded the Cape of Good Hope and reached the Indian Ocean.

Vasco De Gama

First European to reach India by sea, known for obtaining spices.

Gold, God, Glory

Motive for exploration, representing wealth, religious conversion, and national pride.

The Reconquista

The period of reconquest of Spain from Muslim rule.

Ferdinand and Isabella

The Catholic Monarchs of Spain who sponsored Columbus's expedition.

Christopher Columbus

Explorer who sailed in 1492 and discovered the Americas, believing he reached India.

Line of Demarcation

Boundary established by the Treaty of Tordesillas dividing territories of New World between Spain and Portugal.

Magellan

Explorer whose crew was the first to circumnavigate the globe.

Spanish Galleon

Large ships used by the Spanish to transport goods and wealth across the oceans.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of people, crops, livestock, ideas, and diseases between the Old World and the New World.

Smallpox

Disease that decimated native populations in the Americas.

Cash Crops

Crops such as sugar, coffee, and tobacco that were grown for profit.

Mercantilism

Economic theory that wealth is fixed and that a country's power depends on its wealth, relying on maximizing exports.

Triangular Trade

Trade route connecting Europe, Africa, and the New World, facilitating the Columbian Exchange.