PPT 3&4 - Spanish & Portuguese Empires / Protestant Reformation & French Colonies

Reconquista

A centuries-long Christian campaign to conquer Muslim-ruled territories in the Iberian Peninsula, ending in 1492

Reconquista (significance)

Unified Spain under Christian monarchs and helped shape Spanish religious identity and overseas expansion.

Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese prince who sponsored Atlantic voyages and exploration along the West African coast during the 1400s

Henry the Navigator (significance)

His support for maritime exploration helped Portugal develop trade routes and expand its influence in Africa

Hernán Cortés

A Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that defeated the Aztec empire in 1519-1521

Hernán Cortés (significance)

His conquest of the Aztec capital helped establish Spanish colonial rule in Mexico, aided by Indigenous allies

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer who reached India by sailing around Africa in 1498

Vasco da Gama (significance)

His voyage established a direct sea route between Europe and India, expanding Portuguese trade and imperial power

Treaty of Todesillas

A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal dividing claimed overseas territories along a north-south line

Treaty of Tordesillas (significance)

Shaped Spanish and Portuguese colonial expansion, including Portugal’s claim to Brazil, while disregarding Indigenous sovereignty

Manila Trade

A trans-Pacific trading network linking Manila in the Philippines with Acapulco in New Spain from 1565 to 1815

Manila Trade (significance)

Connected Asia and the Americas through silver, silk, porcelain, and other goods, strengthening global economic exchange

Castas

A system of racial and ancestry-based classifications used in Spanish America to categorize people of mixed and other backgrounds

Castas (significance)

Reflected and reinforced colonial social hierarchies based on ancestry, race and perceived status

Martin Luther

German monk who challenged Catholic Church practices and sparked the Protestant Reformation in 1517

Martin Luther (significance)

Criticized indulgences and emphasized salvation through faith, helping divide Western Christianity

John Calvin

French Protestant reformer who developed influential Reformed theology in 16th-century Geneva

John Calvin (belief)

Predestination: God has already determined who will receive salvation

John Calvin (significance)

Calvinism influenced Protestant churches, including Puritans, and shaped religious and political life in Europe

Northwest Passage

A hoped-for sea route through the arctic connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Northwest Passage (significance)

European powers searched for it to reach Asian trade markets faster, encouraging exploration of North America

Haudenosaunee

An indigenous confederacy, also called the Iroquois Confederacy, originally uniting five nations in northeastern North America

Haudenosaunee (significance)

Their alliance strengthened diplomacy and collective power, shaping trade and relations with European colonizers

Samuel de Champlain

French explorer who helped establish Quebec in 1608 and expanded France’s presence in North America

Samuel de Champlain (significance)

Helped establish New France and developed alliances with Indigenous peoples, including the Huron-Wendat