Key Concepts in Exploration and Colonization

Diffusion

The spread of ideas, goods, or technology from one culture to another.

Economic competition

Rivalry between businesses or nations to gain wealth and resources.

Innovations

New ideas, methods, or inventions that improve ways of doing things.

Pioneering

Being the first to explore, develop, or introduce something new.

Prince Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese royal who promoted exploration and navigation in the 15th century.

Vasco da Gama

A Portuguese explorer who found a sea route to India by sailing around Africa.

Cortez

A Spanish conquistador who led the conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico.

Pizarro

A Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in South America.

Magellan

A Portuguese explorer whose expedition was the first to circumnavigate the globe.

Francis Drake

An English explorer and pirate who raided Spanish ships and circumnavigated the world.

Jacques Cartier

A French explorer who claimed parts of Canada for France.

Expansion

The process of growing or extending a nation's influence or territory.

Colonization

The act of establishing settlements and control over foreign lands and people.

Trading post

A place where goods are exchanged, often set up by merchants in foreign lands.

Conversion

The process of changing one's religion, often due to missionary efforts.

Indigenous

The original inhabitants of a region before colonization.

Demise

The downfall or end of something, such as a civilization or leader.

Legacy

The lasting impact or influence of a person, event, or culture.

Imitation

The act of copying or adopting the practices of another.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of goods, ideas, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds.

Smallpox

A deadly disease brought by Europeans that devastated indigenous populations.

Cash crops

Crops grown for profit, such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton.

Triangle trade

A system of trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas involving goods and slaves.

Middle passage

The horrific journey enslaved Africans endured across the Atlantic to the Americas.