Chapter 1: Key Terms 1450 to 1600 APUSH

Animism 1500

Belief that objects, such as plants and stones, or natural events, like thunderstorms and earthquakes, have a discrete spirit and conscious life.

Caravel- 1400s

A small, highly maneuverable three-masted ship used by the Portuguese and Spanish in the exploration of the Atlantic.

Christianity - 0

A monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior.

Civic Humanism - 1400

Humanism with the added belief that one must be an active and contributing member to one's society

Counter Reformation - 1545

The reaction of the Roman Catholic Church to the Reformation reaffirming the veneration of saints and the authority of the Pope (to which Protestants objected).

Crusades - 1096

A series of holy wars from undertaken by European Christians to free the Holy Land from Muslim rule.

Guilds - 1450s

Association of merchants or artisans who cooperated to protect their economic interests.

Heresy - 1100s

An opinion different from accepted belief; the denial of an idea that is generally held sacred

Islam - 632

A religion based on the teachings of the prophet Mohammed which stresses belief in one god (Allah), Paradise and Hell, and a body of law written in the Quran. Followers are called Muslims.

Matriarchy - before 1500

A society ruled or controlled by women

Patriarchy - before 1500s

A system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is traced through the male line.

Predestination - 1536

The belief that what happens in human life has already been determined by some higher power

Primogeniture - 1600s

Right of inheritance belongs exclusively to the eldest son

Protestant Reformation - 1517

A religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches.

Reconquista - 1100s

The effort by Christian leaders to drive the Muslims out of Spain, lasting from the 1100s until 1492.

Renaissance - 1400s

"Rebirth"; following the Middle Ages, a movement that centered on the revival of interest in the classical learning of Greece and Rome

Three sisters agriculture

Native American method of planting corn, beans, and squash together.

Tribute - 1521

Something done or given to show thanks or respect; a payment

Missionary system - 1573

Organizational system established by the Spanish in which Catholic evangelists, rather than soldiers, directed all new settlements in the Americas.

Hiawatha

A Mohawk leader who called members of five groups together forming the Iroquis Confederacy around 1570.

Martin Luther

a German monk who became one of the most famous critics of the Roman Catholic Chruch. In 1517, he wrote 95 theses, or statements of belief attacking the church practices.

Mansa Musa

Emperor of the kingdom of Mali in Africa. He made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca and established trade routes to the Middle East.

Vasco de Gama

A Portugese sailor who was the first European to sail around southern Africa to the Indian Ocean

Christopher Columbus

Italian navigator who discovered the New World in the service of Spain while looking for a route to China (1451-1506)

Hernan Cortes

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico (1485-1547)

Moctezuma

Aztec emperor defeated and killed by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes.

Pedro Alvares Cabral

Portuguese leader of an expedition to India; blown off course in 1500 and landed in Brazil.