Lecture-Age of Discovery-pt

Renaissance

A period of cultural rebirth in Europe which reshaped thought, religion, and technology.

Reformation

A movement that caused a schism in the Catholic Church and led to the establishment of Protestantism.

Trans-Atlantic Civilization

A shift in the 15th-16th centuries marking the linking of Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Columbus

Genoese sailor who completed four voyages across the Atlantic, credited with discovering the Americas.

Astrolabe

An ancient device used for solving problems related to time and the position of the stars, aiding in navigation.

Caravel

A type of ship developed in the 15th century that was fast, sturdy, and suitable for oceanic voyages.

Doctrine of Discovery

A principle which claimed that Christian nations had the right to claim non-Christian lands.

Encomienda System

A Spanish labor system that granted colonists responsibility for the care and conversion of certain groups of Indigenous people.

Mercantilism

An economic theory that advocates for government regulation of a nation’s economy for augmenting state power.

Thirty Years' War

A series of conflicts in Europe between 1618 and 1648, largely due to religious and political strife among states.

Papal Bull Inter Caetera

A 1493 decree by Pope Alexander VI that granted Spain and Portugal exclusive rights to colonize lands in the New World.

Peace of Westphalia

A series of treaties that ended the Thirty Years’ War in 1648 and established the principle of state sovereignty.

Galileo

A key figure in the Scientific Revolution, known for his contributions to modern science and the conflict with the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Richelieu

Chief minister to Louis XIII, known for centralizing power and establishing the policies of politique and mercantilism.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread exchange of animals, plants, culture, human populations, diseases, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World.

Gold, God, Glory

Motives often summarized to explain European exploration and colonization.
(hint: 3 Gs)

Pacifica

A term coined by Magellan for the Pacific Ocean, reflecting its calmness compared to the Atlantic.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement in the 16th century to reform the Catholic Church, leading to the formation of Protestant denominations.

Scientific Revolution

A historical period in the 17th century characterized by advancements in scientific thought and methodology.

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

The forced transportation of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.

Jesuits

Members of the Society of Jesus, a religious order founded to spread Catholic teachings, often through education.

Hernán Cortés

Spanish Conquistador known for his role in the fall of the Aztec Empire.

Ferdinand Magellan

First explorer to circumnavigate the globe, though he did not survive the journey.

Raison d'État

A French phrase meaning 'reason of state,' used to justify political decisions based on national interest.

Ethnocide

The deliberate destruction of the culture of an ethnic group.

Genocide

The deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.

Printing Press

A technological innovation of the mid-1400s that revolutionized the spread of information, aiding exploration and literacy.

Fall of Constantinople

The capture of the Byzantine capital by the Ottoman Turks in 1453, reshaping trade routes.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal to divide the newly discovered lands outside Europe between them.

Marco Polo

A Venetian merchant and explorer whose travels to Asia were documented and widely published.

Sir John Mandeville

An author of a travel book that mixed fact and fiction, influencing European perceptions of the East.

Cortes and the Aztecs

Cortes led the expedition that resulted in the fall of the Aztec Empire between 1519 and 1521.