The Renaissance and Age of Exploration

Vocabulary flashcards covering the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, European exploration, economic systems, and the transatlantic trade networks.

Martin Luther

A German monk who challenged the Catholic Church because he disagreed with its ideas and practices, helping to spark the Protestant Reformation.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement that challenged the teachings, practices, and authority of the Catholic Church.

95 Theses

A list of 95 arguments written by Martin Luther challenging Catholic Church practices.

Printing Press

A machine invented by Johannes Gutenberg in Europe that facilitated the rapid spread of ideas and literature.

Indulgences

Certificates sold by the Catholic Church granting forgiveness for sins.

Counter-Reformation

The Catholic Church's response and reform effort against the Protestant Reformation.

Motivations for European exploration/expansion

The three primary driving factors for European exploration: God, Gold, and Glory.

Middle Passage

The forced journey of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas, characterized by horrific and sickly conditions.

Mit'a System

A Spanish labor system in South America that forced Indigenous populations to work in mines and on other labor projects.

Mercantilism

An economic system in which European countries sought to amass wealth by acquiring gold and silver and exporting more goods than they imported.

Triangular Trade

A transatlantic trading network that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas through the exchange of goods and enslaved people.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, human populations, diseases, and ideas between the Americas, Europe, and Africa.

Joint-Stock Companies

Businesses formed by groups of investors who pooled their capital to fund trade ventures and share both costs and financial risks.

Encomienda System

A Spanish colonial labor system granting conquerors the right to force Indigenous people into labor in exchange for converting them to Christianity and offering protection.

Treaty of Tordesillas

An agreement between Spain and Portugal to divide newly explored territories outside Europe between themselves to prevent war.

Trans-Atlantic slave trade

The forced capture and transportation of millions of Africans across the ocean to labor in the Americas.

Cash Crop

An agricultural crop produced primarily for sale and commercial profit rather than for personal consumption by the grower.