unit 4 European Exploration (1450-1750)

Magnetic Compass

Developed in China, it gives direction.

Astrolabe

Determined latitude and longitude by measuring stars.

Lateen Sail

A triangular-shaped sail developed by Arab merchants that takes wind on either side.

Astronomical charts

Diagrams of stars and constellations.

Caravel

A Portuguese ship that is more nimble and navigable on water and had cannons.

Carrack

A huge ship created by Portugal for world domination and trade, designed to carry guns.

Fluyt

A Dutch ship designed for trade with a big cargo hold, small crews, and cheap to build.

State Sponsored Exploration

A new era of sea-based empire building sponsored by states due to changes in power distribution in Europe.

Gunpowder Weapons

Weapons that monarchs built up their militaries with.

Taxation

Created by monarchs to fund their militaries and exploration.

Asian/Southeast Asian Spices

A huge motivator for states sponsoring maritime exploration.

Population Growth

A factor that contributed to the consolidation of power by monarchs.

Trade Routes

Paths used for the exchange of goods and technologies between cultures.

Technological Adoption

The process by which Europeans adopted technologies from other cultures.

Shipping Weight (Tonnage)

By the mid 17th century, Fluyt were responsible for about half of all Europe's shipping weight.

Maritime Exploration

The exploration of the seas, often sponsored by states.

European Innovations

Technological advancements made by Europeans in shipbuilding and navigation.

Pepper

Came from trade routes and were expensive in Europe.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Sponsored the first attempts to find an all water route into the Indian Ocean network.

Caravel/Carrack

Technological advancements that facilitated exploration.

Trans-saharan Gold + Spices

Economic motivations for Portugal's exploration.

Prester John

An Eastern Christian Monarch that Prince Henry desired to find.

Vasco de Gama

Sailed to establish more trading posts down south, found Calicut.

Christopher Columbus

Sailed westward in 1492 to access the Spice Islands quicker.

1492

Year Columbus and his crew reached the Caribbean islands.

Ferdinand Magellan

Sailed to the actual East Indies.

Transatlantic Trade

Opened up by Spanish fleets sent to the Americas to colonize and conquer.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of new diseases, food, plants, and animals between the Eastern and Western hemispheres.

Malaria

Carried by mosquitos, introduced by enslaved Africans, killed many indigenous Americans.

Measles

Highly contagious disease that spread rapidly in densely populated areas.

Smallpox

Disease that spread from Mexico to South America, contributing to the Great Dying.

Cash Crops

Method of agriculture where food is grown for export.

Sugar Cane

Example of a cash crop grown in Caribbean colonies, worked by enslaved Africans.

Horses

Changed the society of indigenous peoples by allowing them to hunt large herds of buffalo.

Mercantilism

System that emphasizes the buildup of mineral wealth by maintaining a favorable balance of trade.

Joint-Stock Companies

Limited liability business funded by a group of investors, chartered by the state.

Dutch East India Company

Established in 1602, granted a monopoly on trade in the Indian Ocean.

Atlantic System

Movement of goods between eastern and western hemispheres.

Silver

King in trade, exploited in Bolivia and sent back to Spain.

Casta System

Organized society by race/heredity in Spanish colonies.

Peninsulares

Individuals born on the Iberian Peninsula.

Creoles

Individuals of European descent born in the New World.

Mestizos

Individuals of mixed European and indigenous ancestry.

Mulattoes

Individuals of mixed European and African ancestry.

Indentured Servitude

Laborers bound to work for a period in exchange for passage to the colonies.

Encomienda System

Spanish system for forced labor of indigenous Americans in exchange for protection.

Hacienda System

Large agricultural estates owned by elite Spaniards, where laborers were forced to work.

Maroon Societies

Communities of escaped enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and Brazil.

Pueblo Revolt

Rebellion against Spanish rule by Pueblo people in North America.

Fronde

Resistance in France that was crushed, leading to increased monarch power.

Queen Ana Nzing

Ruler who allied with the Dutch to resist Portuguese merchants.

Cultural Synthesis

Process where enslaved Africans adopted Creole languages in the Americas.

Las Casas's Defense

Advocated for the protection of indigenous Americans from colonial abuse.

Gender Imbalance

Majority of slaves purchased were men, affecting family structures in Africa.

Changing Belief Systems

Spread of Christianity among indigenous people by Spanish and Portuguese missionaries.