European Exploration and Colonization

These flashcards cover key concepts related to European exploration, colonization, and the interactions between Europeans and Native Americans.

God, Gold, Glory

The three motives for European exploration: religious conversion, wealth from resources, and national prestige.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal that divided newly discovered lands between them.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Old World and the New World following Columbus's voyages.

Encomienda System

A labor system in which Spanish settlers were granted the right to extract labor from Native Americans in exchange for providing protection and Christian education.

Mercantilism

An economic theory that emphasizes the role of the state in managing the economy to increase national wealth, typically through trade and colonialism.

Spanish Conquistadors

Spanish explorers and soldiers who conquered large parts of the Americas during the Age of Exploration.

Joint-stock Companies

Businesses owned by shareholders that were created to fund and facilitate colonial ventures and exploration.

Feudalism

A social system prevalent in medieval Europe where land ownership determined social status and wealth.

Capitalism

An economic system where the means of production are privately owned and operated for profit.

Mestizos

Individuals of mixed European and Native American ancestry, often occupying a middle position in the colonial caste system.

Smallpox

A contagious viral disease that devastated Native American populations after contact with Europeans, due to lack of immunity.

Pope Alexander VI

The pope who mediated the division of the New World between Spain and Portugal through the Treaty of Tordesillas.

Hernan Cortés

Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Incan Empire and executed Inca emperor Atahualpa.

Native American Resistance

The various forms of opposition and rebellion that Indigenous peoples exhibited against European colonization efforts.

Valladolid Debates

Debates in Spain concerning the treatment and rights of Native Americans, featuring figures like Bartolomé de las Casas.