Rise of the Atlantic World pt 1

Encomienda

A system where land grants were given to wealthy Spaniards, allowing them to demand labor from Native Americans. This system was justified by the Spanish crown as a way to protect and convert the indigenous population to Christianity, but often resulted in exploitation and severe mistreatment of Native peoples.

Cabeza de Vaca

A Spanish explorer who shipwrecked in Texas in 1528 and lived among Native Americans for eight years. His experiences led to a more nuanced understanding of Native cultures and influenced later Spanish policies towards indigenous peoples.

Mestizos

Individuals of Spanish and Native American ancestry. Mestizos became a significant demographic in colonial societies, often occupying a middle social class between Spanish colonists and indigenous peoples, and played a crucial role in the cultural exchange and blending of traditions.

Mulattos

Individuals of Spanish and African ancestry. This group emerged as a result of the transatlantic slave trade and colonial expansion, contributing to the complex racial hierarchies that developed in the Americas.

Columbian Exchange

The trade of plants, animals, goods, diseases, and human beings between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, initiated in the early 1500s. This exchange vastly transformed economies, diets, and populations across the globe, introducing crops like potatoes and maize to Europe while devastating Indigenous populations with European diseases.

Middle Passage

The horrific journey taken by enslaved Africans from Africa to the Americas, characterized by overcrowding and high mortality rates. The Middle Passage was marked by inhumane conditions aboard slave ships, leading to suffering and death for many slaves, and it played a crucial role in establishing the transatlantic slave trade.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement signed by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower, declaring themselves a civic body and claiming land in the name of King James. This compact is considered a foundational document for self-governance in the New World, establishing principles of democracy and majority rule among the settlers.

Indentured Servants

Individuals who signed contracts to work for a period of years in exchange for passage to America and eventual land. This system was a crucial part of early colonial labor, creating a labor force that allowed for expansion and settlement but also often subjected individuals to harsh working conditions.

Headrights

Land grants of 50 acres offered to settlers in colonial Virginia. The headright system incentivized migration and settlement by rewarding individuals for bringing additional people to the colony, thus encouraging the growth of the population and economy.

Pilgrims

Separatists from the Church of England who settled in New England, seeking religious freedom. Their voyage aboard the Mayflower and subsequent establishment of Plymouth Colony are important chapters in early American history, symbolizing the quest for religious autonomy.

Patroons

Wealthy landowners in the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam who rented land to tenant farmers. This system of land tenure played a key role in the economic development of the colony, allowing the Dutch to manage land effectively while encouraging agricultural production.

Jamestown

The first permanent British settlement in North America, established in 1607. Jamestown faced numerous challenges, including conflicts with Native Americans, a harsh environment, and food shortages, but ultimately became a successful colony pivotal to the expansion of English presence in the New World.