European Global Exploration and the Spanish New World Empire

Flashcards covering explorers, motivations, major events, and the slave trade system from the notes.

Which medieval traveler’s travels between 1271-1295 inspired later explorers to seek riches in Asia?

Marco Polo.

Which two Iberian kingdoms unified to form Spain?

Aragon and Castile.

Name navigational tools mentioned as used during early exploration.

Portolani charts, the compass, and gunpowder.

What were the main motives for exploration according to the notes?

To become powerful and rich and to spread Christianity.

Which explorer sailed west under the sponsorship of the crown to find a shorter route to Asia?

Christopher Columbus.

What are the Three G’s associated with Columbus?

Gold, Glory, God.

What was the Reconquista?

The Christian reconquest of Iberia from Muslim rulers, enabling Spain to emerge unified and fund overseas exploration.

Which lands did Columbus reach on his first voyage?

The Bahamas and Cuba (he believed he reached Asia).

Which explorer argued that the lands Columbus found were not Asia but a New World?

Amerigo Vespucci.

Which map helped name the New World after Vespucci?

The Waldseemüller Map.

Who is Prince Henry the Navigator and what did he do?

A Portuguese prince who funded early exploration and the Crusade of Discovery, notably along West Africa.

Which explorer first reached the Pacific Ocean by crossing the Isthmus of Panama?

Vasco Núñez de Balboa.

What was Ferdinand Magellan's expedition seeking to achieve?

To circumnavigate the world.

What is Pedro Cabral known for?

Claiming Brazil for Portugal (and aiding early sugarcane development).

What was Goa in the context of Portuguese exploration?

The Indian headquarters (administrative center) for Portuguese operations in Asia.

Which voyage completed the idea of circumnavigation and what is highlighted about its outcomes in the notes?

Ferdinand Magellan's voyage aimed to circumnavigate the world; it returned with goods such as gold, sugarcane, and slaves.

Who was Bartolomé de las Casas?

A Dominican missionary who criticized the encomienda system and advocated for indigenous rights.

What is the Encomienda system?

A colonial labor system granting settlers the right to compel indigenous people to labor while attempting to Christianize them.

What is the Repartimiento?

A labor system that required indigenous people to work for Spaniards.

What is Triangular Trade?

A trade network among Europe, Africa, and the Americas involving goods and enslaved people.

What was the Middle Passage?

The sea journey that transported enslaved Africans from Africa to the Americas.

Which English colony is noted as the first successful New World settlement?

Jamestown.

What crop became the 'gold' of the colonies and a major economic driver due to slave labor?

Tobacco.

What was the impact of European contact on Indigenous populations due to disease?

Massive depopulation from Old World diseases.

What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?

A 1494 agreement dividing the world into spheres of influence for Spain and Portugal, mediated by Pope Alexander VI.

Which European power established New Amsterdam as a major trading and banking center?

The Netherlands.

What did New Spain encompass according to the notes?

From California to Panama, with Mexico City as the capital.

Which European power established Louisiana in North America?

France.

Name a Caribbean commodity associated with the colonial trade mentioned in the notes.

Sugar, molasses, and wood.