global: vocab ch. 17, 18, 21, & 22

conquistador

a leader in the Spanish conquest of the Americas

colony

a settlement of people living in a new territory, linked with the parent country by trade and direct government control

mercantilism

a set of principles that dominated economic thought in the seventeenth century; it held that the prosperity of a nation depended on a large supply of gold and silver

plantation

a large agricultural estate

Middle Passage

the forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas

creole

a person of European descent born in Latin America and living there permanently

mestizo

a person of mixed European and Native American descent

armada

a fleet of warships

National Sovereignty

the independence of a state combined with the right and power of regulating itself without foreign interference

absolutism

A political system in which a ruler holds total power

czar

Russian for caesar; the title used by Russian emperors

baroque

An artistic style of the seventeenth century characterized by complex forms, bold ornamentation, and contrasting elements

geocentric

Earth-centered; a system of planetary motion in which the sun, moon, and other planets revolve around the Erath

Heliocentric

sun-centered; the system of the universe in which the earth and planets revolve around the earth

universal law of gravitation

one of Newton's three rules of motion; it explains that planetary bodies continue in elliptical orbits around the sun because every object in the universe is attracted to every other object by a force called gravity.

rationalism

a system of thought expounded by Rene Descartes based on the belief that reason is the chief source of knowledge

scientific method

a systematic procedure for collecting and analyzing evidence that was crucial to the evolution of science in the modern world

empiricism

the theory that says knowledge is archeived through observation

philosphe

French for "philosopher"; applied to all intellectuals during the Enlightenment

separation of powers

a form of government in which the executive, legislative, and judicial branches limit and control each other through a system of checks and balances

deism

an eighteenth-century religious philosophy based on reason and natural law

laissez-faire

the concept that the state should not impose government regulations but should leave the economy alone

social contract

the concept that an entire society agrees to be governed by its general will and all individuals should be forced to abide by it since it represents what is best for the entire community

salons

the elegant urban drawing rooms where, in the eighteenth-century, writers, artists, aristocrats, government officials, and wealthy middle-class people gathered to discuss the ideas of the philosophes

Popular Sovereignty

the right to govern through the consent of the people

federal system

a form of government in which power is shared between the national and state governments

estate

one of the three classes in French society divided before the revolution: clergy (First Estate), the nobles (Second Estate), and the townspeople (Third Estate)

bourgeoisie

the middle class, including merchants, industrialists, and professional people

electors

an individual qualified to vote in an election

coup d'etat

a sudden overthrow of the government

consulate

government established in France after the overthrow of the Directory in 1799, with Napoleon as first consul in control of the entire government

nationalism

the unique cultural identity of a people based on common language, religion, and national symbols

conservatism

a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, favoring obedience to political authority and organized religion

principal of intervention

idea that great powers have the right to send armies into countries where there are revolutions to restore legitimate governments

liberalism

a political philosophy originally based largely on Enlightenment principles, holding that people should be free as possible from government restraint and that civil liberties---the basic rights of all people---should be protected

common wealth

a nation, state, or other political unit founded on law and united by agreement for and by the people

divine right of kings

the belief that the kings receive their power from God and are responsible only to God

puritans

English Protestants who believed that the Church of England needed further reform and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship

natural rights

rights with which all humans are born, including the rights to life, liberty, and property