Age of Exploration and European Colonization

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, colonies, systems of labor, trade networks, and routes from the Age of Exploration and early American colonization.

The "New World"

Landmass in the Western Hemisphere comprising the North and South American continents.

First native people to the Americas

Hunter-gatherer people from Siberia who first inhabited the Americas.

Leif Erikson

Explorer believed to be the first European in the Americas.

Collapse of the Silk Road

Historical event after which overland routes were no longer safe to travel by land, spurring maritime exploration.

"Gold, Glory, and God"

The primary motivations of European explorers during the Age of Exploration.

Caravel

A small, fast ship used for ocean travel during the Age of Exploration.

Astrolabe

A navigational tool used to measure latitude and longitude.

Compass

A navigational tool used to measure North, East, South, and West.

Cartography

The practice and science of making and using maps.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese royal figure who wanted to sail around the southern tip of Africa.

Cape of Good Hope

The southern tip of Africa.

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer and navigator who sailed across the Atlantic.

Spanish Colonies

Colonial regions established by Spain, including the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

Portuguese Colony (Americas)

The South American territory colonized by Portugal, known as Brazil.

French Colony (Americas)

The North American territory colonized by France, known as Canada.

English Colonies

The settlements established in North America by England, referred to as the American Colonies.

Line of Demarcation

A line separating territorial claims between Spain and Portugal.

Treaty of Tordesillas

An agreement establishing the moving of the boundary line between Spanish and Portuguese territorial claims.

Colony

A settlement of people living in a new territory but controlled by a parent country.

Encomienda system

A system of labor used by the Spanish in the New World colonies.

Spanish Colonial Class Structure

Social hierarchy organized from top to bottom as: Peninsulares, Creoles, Mestizos, and Native American Indians and Enslaved Persons (remembered by the mnemonic: Penguins Create Messes Not Enjoyment).

Bartolome de Las Casas

Individual who gave up his land and slaves and began speaking out about the treatment of native people (slaves).

Mercantilism

An economic policy where a country's economy relies heavily on gold and silver.

Maritime

Relating to the ocean and sea.

Circumnavigate

To travel completely around the world.

Evangelization

The act of converting people to Christianity.

Plantation

A very large farm.

Conquistadors

Soldiers and explorers who led the Spanish conquest of the Americas.

Aztecs

Indigenous empire located in present-day Mexico.

Hernan Cortes

Leader of the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztecs.

Incas

Indigenous empire located in South America.

Francisco Pizarro

Leader of the expedition that caused the Incas to fall.

Ferdinand Magellan

Explorer who discovered a safe passage around South America.

Strait of Magellan

A safe navigable sea route around South America.

Sir Francis Drake

First Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.

Jamestown

Settlement named after King James whose original purpose was to find gold, but which later grew wealthy off tobacco.

Tobacco

The cash crop that Jamestown grew wealthy off of.

Plymouth Colony

Colony founded by Pilgrims who were seeking religious freedom.

13 Colonies

The first 13 states, extending geographically from New Hampshire to Georgia.

Atlantic Slave Trade

European-led slave trade established because European countries wanted free labor.

Triangular Trade

Trade system where Europe, Africa, and the Americas were trading different things.

Middle Passage

The 2nd leg of triangular trade; a 2-month journey where as many as $20\%$ of slaves did not survive.

Columbian Exchange

A massive transfer of all kinds of different things between the Americas and Europe, characterized positively by the spread of new plant and animal species and trade, and negatively by diseases that killed millions of indigenous people and the Atlantic slave trade.

Columbian Exchange: Europe to New World

Products and elements introduced from Europe to the New World, including livestock, disease, and sugar cane.

Columbian Exchange: New World to Europe

Products introduced from the New World to Europe, including avocado, turkey, and peanut.