Exploration and Absolutism

What Peninsula was the heartland of the Maya?

The Yucatan Peninsula

What was the Aztec capital?

Tenochtitlan

Who conquered the Aztec?

Hernan Cortes (Spain)

Who conquered the Inca?

Francisco Pizarro (Spain

What was long believed to be the oldest civilization in the Americas?

The Olmec

What artistic objects are the Olmec best remembered for?

Colossal Stone Heads

What relatively recent discovered civilization is now recognized as the oldest in the Americas?

The Caral-Supe

What things are the Caral-Supe known for?

Irrigation system (agriculture), and their pyramids (build around same time as the Egyptian pyramids)

What is the first Mayan standard of beauty?

Heads were put into contraptions at young ages to achieve long, flat foreheads

What is the second Mayan standard of beauty?

Drill holes in their teeth and put jewels in those holes.

What is the third Mayan standard of beauty?

Dangle beads in front of their eyes to make them permanently cross eyed

What was the bloodletting ceremony?

A hole would be poked in a royal women’s tongue, a rope with thorns would be pulled through this hole, and they would pull blood and offer it to the Gods. With men, the hole would be poked in private areas,

What was a quipu?

A system of knotted strings of different colors and amount of knots used for record keeping.

What was the significance of Potosi?

It was one of the largest silver mines in the world. It was the Spanish reward for conquering the Incas, and its silver fueled Spain’s wealth and global trade.

Who was Las Casas?

A Catholic priest who spoke out against the Encomienda system and the harsh treatment of Native Americans by the Spanish

What was the Columbian Exchange?

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and goods between the Americas and the Old World after Columbus’s voyages.

What were some specific items that were exchanged during the Columbian Exchange?

Horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, smallpox, measles, and typhus were introduced to the Americas, and potatoes, maize, tomatoes and other crops were introduced to the Old World.

How did population change in various regions as a result of the Columbian Exchange?

The population of the Americas decreased due to diseases, while the population of the Old World increased due to the introduction of new crops.

What was mercantilism?

An economic system in which countries tried to increase their wealth and power by controlling trade and accumulating gold and silver.

What was the Encomienda system?

A Spanish system that gave settlers the right to use Native Americans as laborers on plantations.

Who was Henry the Navigator?

A Portuguese prince who sent ships to explore African coast in 1420

What was the Reconquista?

When the Spanish slowly drove the Muslims (Moors) out of Spain. This freed up money for the exploration.

Who was Magellan?

He was the leader of the first trip to circumnavigate the world, but he died along the way. He went to prove that Indonesia belonged to Spain since it was West of line.

How did Europeans originally try to fulfill their labor needs in the Americas?

By using Native Americans for agricultural and mining work, and also by using indentured white labor from Europe.

What product led to the largest increase in the demand for slave labor?

Sugar

Why did the demand for sugar change?

The demand grew as sugar changed from a luxury for the rich to a common item in European diets.

What is capitalism?

The economic system in which most businesses are privately owned.

What is an entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurs are people who take financial risks to make profits

Who was Philip II?

The King of Spain from 1556-1598

Why did the Spanish invade England?

Because Philip II wanted to defend Catholicism and punish England for supporting Protestant rebels and pirates who attacked Spanish ships

What major victory did Queen Elizabeth win?

The Defeat of the Spanish Armada

What type of people were most likely to be accused of witchcraft?

Women and the poor (Poor women most of all)

What was the divine right of kings?

The claim that the right to rule came from God

Who were the Cavaliers?

Supporters of King Charles I

Who were the Roundheads?

Supporters of Parliament

Who was Oliver Cromwell?

The leader of the Roundheads

What happened at the Defenestration of Prague (event that triggered the Thirty Years War)?

The Protestant rebels threw royal Catholic officials out a window

What treaty ended the Thirty Years War?

The Peace of Westphalia

What is Absolutism?

When one person has/had absolute power/controls all branches of government

Who was called the Sun King?

Louis XIV

Why was Louis XIV called the Sun King?

Because he claimed to be “The Light of his People”

What did Ivan the Terrible do to earn his name?

He ruled Russia through extreme violence. He set up his own secret police force, destroyed the city of Novgorod, and killed his son.

What changes did Peter the Great make to Russia?

He reorganized the army, developed and improved the industry, forced Western customs, and built St. Petersburg

Why did Peter the Great make these changes?

To modernize Russia and bring it up to date

What was the African Diaspora?

When millions of Africans were forced out of their homes as a result of slave trades.

What was the voyage enslaved Africans were forced to make to the Americas called?

The Middle Passage

Where were a majority of slaves sent?

Brazil or the Caribbean

What is called the first modern novel?

Don Quixote

Who wrote Don Quixote?

Cervantes

Who wrote Leviathan?

Hobbes

What were Hobbes main beliefs?

“Before Government, life was nasty, brutish and short.” People willingly gave up their freedom so they don’t do terrible things.

Who wrote Two Treatises on Government?

Locke

What were Locke’s primary beliefs?

Government shouldn’t have absolute power. If the government violates your rights, you should overthrow them and replace them with a government that will protect your rights. “Government exists to protect our rights to life, liberty, and property".”