APWH Unit 4

Magnetic Compass

A navigational instrument developed in China used to determine direction at sea.

Astrolabe

An ancient instrument used to determine latitude and longitude in navigation.

Lateen Sail

A triangular-shaped sail that allows a ship to sail efficiently on either tack.

Caravel

A light and fast sailing ship developed by the Portuguese for exploration.

Carrack

A large ocean-going ship developed by the Portuguese that could carry more cargo and guns.

Fluyt

A Dutch trading ship designed for efficiency in trade, requiring smaller crews.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of new diseases, foods, plants, and animals between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Mercantilism

An economic policy that emphasizes the buildup of a nation’s wealth through trade balance.

Joint-stock Company

A company that is owned by shareholders, limiting their risk to the amount they invested.

Pax Mongolica

A period of stability and relative peace during the Mongol Empire that facilitated trade.

Tokugawa Japan

A period of Japanese history marked by the unification and eventual isolation from European trade.

Asante Empire

An African empire that became rich through trade with Europeans, particularly in gold and slaves.

Encomienda System

Spanish colonial system allowing colonists to demand labor from native inhabitants.

Hacienda System

Large agricultural estates in Spanish America where forced laborers worked to produce cash crops.

Mestizos

People of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in colonial Latin America.