Chapter 5: European Exploration and Conquest

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Chapter 5 regarding European exploration and conquest, focusing on motivations, technologies, and the impact of these events.

Caravel

A new type of ship developed in the 15th century that could sail against the wind and was crucial for exploration.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, cultures, human populations, and pathogens between the New World and the Old World following Columbus's voyages.

Reconquest

The campaign by Christian states to recapture territory from Muslim rulers in the Iberian Peninsula, completed in 1492.

Treaty of Tordesillas

An agreement between Spain and Portugal in 1494 that divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between them.

Great Dying

The demographic collapse of Indigenous peoples of the Americas following European contact, largely due to diseases.

Conquistadors

Spanish explorers and soldiers who conquered lands in the Americas for Spain and claimed wealth for the Spanish crown.

Mita system

A forced labor system established by the Spanish in Peru which required Indigenous people to work in mines and plantations.

Smallpox

A highly contagious disease that devastated Native American populations after European contact.

Hacienda

A large estate or plantation in Spanish-speaking regions, often run using the labor of Indigenous peoples.

Viceroy

Royal officials in Spanish America who governed in the name of the Spanish crown.