AP World Unit 4 Vocab

Caravel

An improved small and fast ship used by Spanish and Portuguese explorers for long voyages, characterized by large masts, lateen sails, and a wider bottom for better wind capture and storage capacity.

Carrack

A large ship with 3-4 masts and square and lateen sails, used in Mediterranean exploration and considered the precursor to the galleon.

Fluyt

A long, narrow Dutch ship designed for maximum cargo capacity, featuring multiple masts and a large hold beneath a single deck, contributing to the Dutch seaborne empire in the 17th century.

Henry the Navigator

Portuguese prince known for funding and planning voyages of discovery, aiming to expand Portugal's wealth, territory, and spread Christianity, sparking Europe's age of exploration.

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese navigator who established the sea route from Europe to the East by circumnavigating Africa's Cape of Good Hope, enabling direct trade between the West and the East.

Ferdinand Magellan

Portuguese explorer who sailed for Spain, known for his circumnavigation of the globe, discovering the Strait of Magellan and crossing the Pacific Ocean.

Trading Post Empire

Imperial dominance based on control of trade rather than direct control over subject peoples, allowing European countries to expand influence through trading posts.

Christopher Columbus

Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain, credited with discovering the New World, challenging the belief in a flat Earth, and initiating European colonization of the Americas.

Columbian Exchange

The movement of commodities, people, and diseases across the Atlantic, resulting in the exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds.

Mercantilism

Economic theory and practice in Europe aiming to maximize exports and minimize imports, allowing nations to accumulate wealth and resources through protectionist policies.

The Great Dying

The devastating impact of European diseases brought to the New World, resulting in the death of millions of Native Americans who lacked immunity to these diseases.

Chattel Slavery

The most common form of slavery in the Americas, treating slaves as legal property that could be bought, sold, and owned indefinitely.

Mita System

A forced labor system in Peru, where natives were compelled to work, particularly in mines, benefiting the Spanish colonizers but causing discontent among the Incan people.

Indentured Servitude

A labor system where individuals worked without salary to repay a loan or indenture, commonly used in the United States.

Encomienda

A system granting land and native people to colonists in exchange for protection and Christian instruction, effectively forcing the natives to work for food and shelter.

Hacienda

Large agricultural estates in the Americas owned by wealthy landowners, worked by indentured laborers, and used to produce goods for export to Europe.

Joint-stock Company

Investor-backed companies that sponsored exploration and colonization, allowing for expeditions beyond the means of individuals or governments, with profits shared among shareholders.

Royal Chartered Monopoly Company

A joint-stock company granted a monopoly through a royal charter, giving it independent legal status and the power to govern its own affairs.

Vodun

Spiritual belief system in West Africa, also known as voodoo, emphasizing the use of spells and charms to impact the material world, combining West African Vodun religion with Roman Catholicism.

Santeria

Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, originating from the slave trade in Cuba and evolving due to movement and cultural exchange.

Casta Paintings

Late 18th-century paintings depicting racial diversity and mixing in the New World, often reflecting biased stereotypes and a hierarchical scale.

Mestizo

Individuals of mixed European and Native American ancestry, often excluded from holding office but commonly becoming artisans and traders.

Mulatto

Individuals of mixed European and African ancestry, treated similarly to Mestizos and often working as craftsmen or domestic servants.

Creoles

People of European descent born in the Americas, considered second-class citizens behind Peninsulares and excluded from the highest positions of power.

Peninsulares

Spanish settlers born in Spain who moved to Spanish America, holding the highest social status and occupying the most important positions of power.

The Fronde

Series of civil wars in France between 1648 and 1653, aimed at checking the growing power of the royal government and paving the way for the absolutism of Louis XIV.

Nat Turner's Rebellion

Slave revolt led by Nat Turner in Southampton, Virginia, in 1831, resulting in the deaths of nearly 60 white people and leading to stricter laws and penalties for African Americans.

Dutch East India Company

Major joint-stock company operating from 1602 to 1799, granted a monopoly on Dutch trade between Europe and Asia, particularly profiting from the