Key Concepts and Events from Time Period 1: 1491-1607

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts and figures from Time Period 1: 1491-1607.

Astrolabe

An invention that improved navigation by identifying distance, facilitating long-distance trade. 1491-1607

Inquisition

An institution launched by Ferdinand and Isabella against supposed heretics to create a unified national identity under the Catholic Church. 1491-1607

Columbian Exchange

Ongoing contact between Europe and the Americas involving the exchange of people, plants, animals, and diseases. 1491-1607

Conquistador

Spanish and Portuguese military leaders who invaded and conquered Native American lands in Central and South America.1491-1607

Aristocrat

A class of people in Spain who benefited from the Columbian Exchange but spent their wealth on luxury goods. 1491-1607

Caravel

Ships developed under Prince Henry the Navigator, allowing better navigation along the West African coast. 1491-1607

Renaissance

A cultural and intellectual movement that began in fifteenth-century Italy and spread to northern Europe. 1491-1607

Spanish Caste System

A system that defined the status of diverse populations based on a racial hierarchy privileging Europeans. 1491-1607

Mission System

Established in 1573, where missionaries were directed to oversee new settlements rather than soldiers. 1491-1607

Capitalism

A new economic system based on private ownership of property and business, replacing feudalism. 1491-1607

Tenochititlan

The Aztec capital city taken over by the Spanish in 1521. 1491-1607

Feudalism

A social and economic system organized by hereditary classes, where vassals owed loyalty in exchange for protection. 1491-1607

Horticulture

A form of agriculture developing between 8000-2000 BCE, involving small plots of land and simple tools. 1491-1607

Incas

A complex bureaucratic empire built along the Pacific coast of South America before Spanish arrival. 1491-1607

Aztec

The indigenous people of Mexico who dominated central Mexico until their collapse after the Spanish invasion. 1491-1607

Three Sisters

A Native American agricultural practice of planting corn, beans, and squash together for higher yields. 1491-1607

Maya

An ancient civilization in the Yucatan peninsula, known for large cities and elaborate irrigation systems. 1491-1607

Pueblo

Native American peoples in New Mexico and Arizona known for building permanent multi-story adobe dwellings. 1491-1607

Missionary

A religious person who travels to convert others to their faith. 1491-1607

Encomienda

An economic arrangement in New Spain where Spaniards received land and labor from Native Americans.1491-1607

Requerimiento

A statement read by Spanish conquerors claiming authority to rule in the name of the Pope.1491-1607

Atlantic World

The cultural and economic interactions that occurred between Africa, the Americas, and Western Europe. 1491-1607

King Charles I

Spanish King who reacted to reports of Native American mistreatment by convening a discussion on conquest morality. 1491-1607

Hernan Cortes

Brutal conqueror of the Aztecs. 1491-1607

Christopher Columbus

His voyages established permanent contact between the Americas and Europe.1491-1607

Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile

Their marriage united Christian Spain and expelled the last Muslim conquerors in 1492. 1491-1607

Montezuma

The Aztec ruler deposed by Cortes. 1491-1607

Francisco Pizarro

The Spaniard who conquered the Incas. 1491-1607