Midterm 2: The Americas and Opium Wars

Flashcards covering key concepts about the Americas, Mayan medicine, and the Opium Wars based on lecture notes.

Botanicals

Plants valued for their medicinal or other valuable properties, especially those discovered in the New World.

Mayan Medicine

A holistic approach to healing that includes the connection between body and soul, the balance of hot and cold, and the status of blood.

Cacao

A plant from which chocolate is made, valued by the Aztecs and Mayans and seen as a ceremonial stimulant.

Chinampas

Floating gardens used by the Aztecs for agriculture, which served as living botanical archives.

Tenochtitlan

The capital of the Aztec Empire, known for its advanced architecture and urban planning.

Nahual

In Mayan culture, a person who can shapeshift into an animal form.

Ayahuasca

A traditional hallucinogenic brew used for spiritual healing among indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

Yerba Mate

A caffeinated beverage made from the leaves of the holly tree, popular among indigenous people.

Psychoactive Flora

Plants that alter mental states and are used in religious or healing rituals.

Laudanum

A tincture of opium, used as a pain reliever and cough suppressant.

Extraterritoriality

The right of foreign entities to operate under their home country’s laws rather than the laws of the country where they are based.

Opium Wars

Conflicts between China and Western powers over trade, particularly regarding opium.

Treaty of Nanking

An unequal treaty that ended the First Opium War, ceding Hong Kong to Britain and opening several ports.

Ming Dynasty

The last imperial dynasty in China ruled by ethnic Han Chinese, lasting from 1368 to 1644.

Qing Dynasty

The last ruling dynasty of China, which began in 1644 and was established by Manchu invaders.

Commercial Opium

Opium sold for trade and profit, leading to widespread addiction in China.

Elixir Sulfanilamide

A drug that caused controversy due to its safety issues, leading to the 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Opiate

A natural substance derived from the opium poppy, used as a pain reliever. All opiates are opioids, but not all opioids are opiates.