Atlantic Exploration and Colonization Lecture

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the era of European exploration, colonization, religious shifts, and early globalization as discussed in the lecture transcript.

Prince Henry the Navigator

The Portuguese royal who spearheaded his country’s maritime exploration of Africa and the Atlantic during the 1400s.

Reconquista

The centuries-long Christian conquest of the Iberian Peninsula that concluded in 1492 with the defeat of the last Islamic stronghold in Granada.

Probanza de mérito

Spanish letters of merit written to the crown by explorers to highlight their discoveries and secure royal patronage.

Amerigo Vespucci

The Italian explorer who realized the Americas were a separate landmass unknown to Europeans rather than part of Asia.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement that drew a north-to-south line through South America, dividing newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal.

Hernán Cortés

The Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and captured Tenochtitlán.

Malintzin (La Malinche)

A Nahua woman who served as a translator for Cortés and played a pivotal role in the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs.

Francisco Pizarro

The Spanish explorer who led the conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru and executed the emperor Atahualpa in 1533.

Hernando de Soto

A Spanish explorer who led expeditions through the southeastern United States from 1539 to 1542 in a failed search for gold.

Siglo de Oro

The Spanish Golden Age of art and literature that flourished during the Renaissance, funded by New World riches.

Protestant Reformation

A sixteenth-century religious movement within Christianity initiated by Martin Luther and John Calvin that challenged the authority of the Catholic Church.

Predestination

The Calvinist belief that God has already determined which individuals are chosen for salvation and which are destined for damnation.

Puritans

English Protestants who aimed to purify the Church of England of all Catholic elements and rituals.

Spanish Armada

A massive naval fleet sent by Spain in 1588 to invade England, which was defeated by the English navy and severe weather.

Joint stock company

A business model where investors pooled capital and shared the risk of colonial ventures in exchange for potential profits.

Jamestown

Established in 1607 by the Virginia Company, this was the first permanent English settlement in North America.

Mayflower Compact

A 1620 document signed by the Pilgrims at Plymouth that established a cooperative government for the good of the colony.

Samuel de Champlain

The French explorer known for founding Quebec in 1608 and fostering alliances with native groups like the Huron and Algonquin.

Encomienda

A Spanish labor system that granted conquistadors the legal right to the labor of native peoples, often resulting in exploitation.

Black Legend

The historical concept, promoted by Spain’s rivals, that the Spanish were uniquely cruel and bloodthirsty in their treatment of native populations.

Mercantilism

An economic theory emphasizing that a nation's power depends on accumulating gold and silver and maintaining a favorable balance of trade through colonies.

Columbian Exchange

The global transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres following European contact.