Chp 1

Tenochtitlan

Ancient capital of the Aztec Empire.

Treaty of Tordesillas

Papal decree that divided exploration and conquest between Spain and Portugal.

Reconquista

Christian effort to drive Muslims out of Spain from the 1100s to 1492.

Spanish Armada

Its defeat in 1588 marked the rise of British naval dominance.

Cahokia

A major commercial and political hub of the Mississippian civilization.

Encomienda

Legal rights to native labor granted to Spanish conquistadors.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Dominican priest who criticized Spanish mistreatment of Indigenous people.

Black Legend

The idea that Spaniards were bloodthirsty conquerors with no regard for human life.

Columbian Exchange

Uneven transfer of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds after 1492.

Chinampas

Floating gardens irrigated by lake water, used in Xochimilco, Mexico City.

Chasquis

Incan relay runners who carried messages across long distances.

Beringia

A land bridge that allowed migration between Asia and North America 9,000–15,000 years ago.

Quipu

A system of knotted strings used by the Incas to record information.

Mita

Incan labor tax requiring peasants to work on public projects.

Commodification

Turning something with cultural or ritual significance into a commercial product.

Joint-Stock Companies

Businesses where multiple investors share profits and losses.

Mercantilism

Economic theory that wealth is limited and nations should maximize gold and silver reserves.

Hispaniola

The first Spanish colony in the Americas, now Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Defeat of the Spanish Armada

A major naval loss for Spain in 1588, allowing England to rise as a maritime power.

Puritans

Religious reformers who sought to 'purify' the Church of England from Catholic influences.

Pilgrims

Separatists (English Calvinists) who wanted to break away from the Church of England.

Privateers

Privately owned ships authorized to attack enemy vessels during wartime.