Unit 3 Key Terms Flashcards

Maya

Mesoamerican civilization of independent city-states in southern Mexico and Central America, known for astronomy, mathematics, and writing

Aztec Empire

Powerful empire in central Mexico whose rulers collected tribute from conquered peoples; its capital was Tenochtitlan

Inca Empire

Largest empire in the Americas, stretching along the Andes Mountains and ruled from Cuzco

Mita System

System of mandatory public service in the Inca Empire which was taken over by the Spanish Empire

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese royal who sponsored early voyages of exploration along the West African coast

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer who was the first European to reach India by sea (1498)

Christopher Columbus

Italian navigator sponsored by Spain who sailed west across the Atlantic in 1492 and reached the Americas

Ferdinand Magellan

Portuguese explorer sponsored by Spain whose expedition (1519-1522) was the first to sail around the globe

Treaty of Tordesillas

1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal, brokered by the Pope, dividing newly discovered lands outside Europe between the two powers to avoid conflict over colonization

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere after 1492

conquistador

One of the Spanish soldiers who conquered the Americas

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador who led the conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico (1519-1521)

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in Peru (1532)

Taíno

Indigenous people of the Caribbean islands whom Columbus met; devastated by forced labor and disease under Spanish rule

smallpox

A deadly, contagious disease that causes small pustules all over the body

Encomienda System

Spanish labor system where colonists were granted control over Indigenous people, who were forced to work in exchange for protection and Christian instruction

mercantilism

Economic system in which nations seek to increase wealth by obtaining gold and silver via a favorable balance of trade

joint-stock company

A company that is jointly owned by numerous people

privateer

A privately owned ship authorized by a government to attack enemy ships during wartime

cash crops

Agricultural products grown primarily for sale and profit rather than local consumption

Asante Empire

West African empire in present-day Ghana that grew rich on gold and trade and supplied captives to European traders in exchange for goods such as firearms

Queen Nzinga

Ruler of Ndongo and Matamba (in present-day Angola) who resisted Portuguese conquest and the slave trade through war and alliances

Triangular Trade

Trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas in which enslaved Africans were sent to American colonies, American colonies sent raw materials to Europe, and Europe sent finished goods to Africa

Middle Passage

The ship route that took enslaved people from Africa to the Americas

chattel slavery

A system of forced labor where people are bought and sold as property