Social Questions, Colonization, Empires, and The Enlightenment Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about social questions, colonization, empires, and the Enlightenment.

The Columbian Exchange

The widespread exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between Europe and the Americas during colonization.

Plantations

Estates where cash crops such as sugar or tobacco were grown on a large scale.

The Triangular Trade

The transatlantic trading network that operated from the 16th to the 19th centuries, involving Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

The African Diaspora

People of African descent being spread throughout the Americas and Western Europe as a result of the slave trade.

Mercantilism

An economic policy developed by Europeans as a result of the founding of colonies in the Americas; a nation’s strength depended on its wealth.

Ghazis

Warriors for the Islamic Faith

Janissaries

Enslaved Christian boys that the Ottomans converted to Islam and trained as soldiers.

Spanish Armada

The great fleet assembled by King Phillip II to invade England.

Sultan

Title of the ruler of the Ottoman Empire.

Shah

Title of the ruler of the Safavid Empire.

Peace of Augsburg

Agreement in which Charles V gave each German prince the right to determine the religion of their state.

Absolute Monarch

A ruler whose power was not limited by having to consult with the nobles, common people, or their representatives, believed to rule by divine right.

The Act of Supremacy

The law which named King Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England.

The Habeas Corpus Act

The law which guarantees that an accused person has the right to appear in court to determine if he or she is held or released.

The Glorious Revolution

Event where English nobles invited Mary and her husband William to rule England as joint monarchs.

Constitutional Monarchy

England growing as a monarchy limited by law.

Royalists

Wealthy nobles and supporters of the king during England's civil war.

Roundheads

Supporters of Parliament during England's civil war.

Diderot

Compiled all human knowledge in a single work called the Encyclopedia.

Adam Smith

Argued that business activities should take place in a free market.

Thomas Hobbes

Believed in the power of an absolute monarch.

John Locke

Stated that all people are born equal with natural rights to life, liberty, and property.

Salons

Social gatherings hosted by wealthy Parisian women during the Enlightenment.

The Enlightenment / The Age of Reason

Reason could be used to solve all human problems.

The Stamp Act

Britain’s Parliament passed the Stamp Act which required colonists to pay a tax on an official stamp on all newspapers, legal documents, and other public papers.

Boyars

Landowners in Russia.

Westernization

Bringing elements of Western culture.

Czar

Title used by Russians and was a version of the Roman title of Caesar, meaning emperor.

According to mercantilism, what is meant by a favorable balance of trade

with a favorable balance of trade, a country received more gold and silver from other nations than it paid to them. This situation increased a nation’s power and weakened its foreign competitors.

Mention two global effects of the Columbian Exchange.

➞ Over time, crops that were only known to the Americas, such as corn and potatoes, became staples in the diets of Europeans. The development of economic activities, such as Texas cattle ranching or Brazilian coffee growing would not have been possible without the Columbian Exchange, since both coffee and cows were native to the Old World.

Describe two ways enslaved Africans and their descendants coped with and resisted the living conditions in the colonies

1. Some resisted by trying to keep their cultural traditions alive.

2. Others turned to religion for strength and hope.

3. Some slaves fought back by slowing down their work or destroying equipment.

4. Occasionally, some slaves revolted, attacking slaveholders and their families.

What were the two main challenges faced by Charles V?

1. Charles faced enemies on all sides. Ottoman Turks, the French, and the rebellious German princes all fought him.

2. Charles was fighting for religious control over Europe. He wanted Europe to be Roman catholic and was threatened by the influential Protestant movement.

One of the reasons for the decline of the Ottoman Empire was the practice of dealing with heirs.” Identify two factors that support this statement.

1. Many Sultans had their brothers killed to eliminate rivals.

2. Princes and heirs were locked up in the royal palace. When they were released to become sultans, they had no experience in governing

Provide two factors that define an absolute monarch.

1. A ruler whose power was not limited by having to consult with the nobles, common people, or their representatives.

2. Was believed to rule by divine rights, which meant that the monarch received his or her power from God and therefore must not be challenged

What are the three branches of the American Government

Executive Branch, Judicail Branch, and Legislative Branch

List three key events that led to Ivan IV being known as Ivan the Terrible

1. He became suspicious of his closest advisors and sent them away to exile.

2. He believed that people were conspiring against him and that his wife was murdered and did not die of natural causes.

3. He created a private police force, always dressed in black and rode only black horses. They brutally attacked anyone that spoke against the czar or his policies.

4. He killed his own son and left Russia without an heir.