AP world Unit 4 vocab

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and ideas between the Americas, Europe, and Africa after Columbus’s voyages.

Triangular Trade

A three-part trade system where Europe sent goods to Africa, Africa sent slaves to the Americas, and the Americas sent raw materials to Europe.

Mercantilism

The idea that a country should make money by trading more than it imports and controlling colonies.

Encomienda

A system where Spanish settlers were given land and could force Indigenous people to work for them.

Middle Passage

The part of the Triangular Trade where enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.

Maritime Empires

Empires built by European countries using ships to explore and control trade across the oceans.

Treaty of Tordesillas

An agreement between Spain and Portugal in 1494 to divide the newly discovered lands outside Europe between them.

Casta System

A social class system in Spanish colonies based on race and birthplace (e.g., Peninsulares, Creoles, Mestizos).

Commercial Revolution

The growth of trade and business in Europe during the 16th to 18th centuries, leading to capitalism.

Global Trade Networks

Worldwide trade routes that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas, allowing for the exchange of goods, resources, and culture.