Global History II - Unit 1 Vocabulary

Christopher Columbus

an Italian explorer who, in 1492, sailed for Spain and landed in the Americas, mistakenly believing he had reached Asia. His voyages led to European colonization but also brought devastation to Indigenous peoples.

Columbian Exchange

a re-sorting of the diseases, plants, animals, and humans that used to live in separate parts of the world

Leonardo Da Vinci

a Renaissance artist, scientist, and inventor known for masterpieces like The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. He made significant contributions to anatomy, engineering, and physics, embodying the ideal "Renaissance Man."

Michelangelo

a Renaissance artist and sculptor known for masterpieces like the David statue and the Sistine Chapel ceiling. His work showcased incredible detail, emotion, and a deep understanding of human anatomy.

vernacular

Humanism

called for the exploration of what it meant to be human, with no boundaries drawn by religious dogmas
a Renaissance intellectual movement that emphasized human potential, individual achievement, and the study of classical texts. It promoted secular learning, arts, and a focus on reason over religious doctrine.

Machiavelli-The Prince

a political treatise that advises rulers on gaining and maintaining power, often advocating for pragmatism over morality. It emphasizes that leaders should be cunning, strategic, and sometimes ruthless to ensure stability and control.

Florence

located in Italy and a major center of the Italian Renaissance, known for its wealth, art, and influence in banking and politics. It was home to figures like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and the powerful Medici family.

Martin Luther

a German monk who sparked the Protestant Reformation by challenging the Catholic Church’s practices, particularly the sale of indulgences. In 1517, he wrote the 95 Theses, advocating for salvation through faith alone and the authority of scripture over the pope.

Gutenberg Press

the first movable-type printing press in Europe. It revolutionized communication by making books, especially the Bible, more accessible and promoting the spread of ideas. (also printed Luther’s german interpretation of the Bible)

Wars of Religion

a series of conflicts in the 16th and 17th centuries between Catholics and Protestants across Europe. These wars, including the French Wars of Religion and the Thirty Years’ War, were driven by both religious and political tensions.

Carolus Linnaeus

devised a Latin based naming system, still used to day, that identifies the world’s plants and animals by a genus and species name

Francis Bacon

philosopher and scientist who developed the scientific method, emphasizing observation, experimentation, and inductive reasoning. His work laid the foundation for modern scientific inquiry.

Nicolaus Copernicus

gathered evidence for decades that the earth revolved around the sun (the heliocentric theory) instead of the reverse (the geocentric theory that was praised by the Bible)

Galileo Galilei

supported the idea of the heliocentric theory that the earth revolved around the sun and was punished for his findings

Leeuwenhoek

discovered microbiology, the presence of bacteria and other single celled organisms

William Harvey

became the first to describe our circulatory system as a loop powered by the heart

Isaac Newton

figured out that all objects in the universe are attracted to all other objects through gravitational force and the basic laws of motion

Marketplace of ideas

Refers to how Enlightenment scholars believed that we were reasonable people, how we’d be persuaded by the best argument with the best evidence; bad ideas are not punished by the state or the church.

Magna Carta

signed in 1215, was a charter of rights forced upon King John of England by his barons. It limited the king’s power, established principles like due process, and laid the foundation for modern concepts of liberty and constitutional law

Montesquieu

French philosopher known for his work The Spirit of the Laws, where he outlined the importance of separating government powers into branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. His ideas influenced modern political thought and the structure of many democratic governments.

checks and balances

a system in government that ensures no single branch becomes too powerful by allowing each branch to limit the powers of the others. This principle helps maintain a balance of power and prevent tyranny.

Thomas Hobbes—Leviathan

argues that humans are naturally selfish and need a strong central authority to maintain order. He advocated for an absolute monarchy, believing that only a powerful ruler could prevent chaos and anarchy.

Olympe de Gouges

wrote the “Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Female Citizen,” publicly suggested that rights be granted equally to women as well as men. Was accused of being an “enemy of the natural order",” and was guillotined in 1793 in part for her outrageous, dangerous idea about women’s equality

Seneca Falls

where the U.S. women’s rights movement began with “The Declaration of Sentiments,” a document that copied Jefferson’s preamble word-for-word, except for one addition: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal.”

John Locke

an Enlightenment philosopher who believed in natural rights—life, liberty, and property—and argued that governments should protect these rights. His ideas on social contract and government by the consent of the governed influenced modern democracy and the American Revolution

Thomas Jefferson

an American Founding Father and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, advocating for individual rights and democracy. He later became the third U.S. president and oversaw the Louisiana Purchase.

Denis Diderot—Encyclopedia

a French Enlightenment thinker who compiled and edited the Encyclopedia, a massive collection of knowledge aimed at promoting reason, science, and critical thinking. It spread Enlightenment ideas and challenged traditional authority, including the Church and monarchy. Contained ideas that were against the idea of the slave trade

Liberalism

EACH PERSON SHOULD MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT HIS OR HER OWN LIFE

Industrial Revolution

the replacement of human and animal power with machine power

James Watt

English engineer who invented the first efficient steam engine

Steam engine-1769

a key invention of the Industrial Revolution that used steam power to generate mechanical work. It revolutionized transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture, leading to rapid industrial growth.

Joseph Schumpeter

defined capitalism as a process of creative destruction

creative destruction

the idea that the profit motive continually drives the search for more and more efficient means of production, which undermines older industries and displaces workers, causing wave after wave of pain to workers while creating an abundance of cheaper products for consumers

Luddite

a group of workers in early 19th-century England who protested against industrial machines that threatened their jobs. They became known for smashing textile machinery, symbolizing resistance to technological change.

Apprentice

a person who learns a trade or skill from a master craftsman through hands-on training. This system was common in medieval and early modern Europe as a way to pass down specialized knowledge.

Journeyman

a skilled worker who has completed an apprenticeship and can work independently but is not yet a master. In medieval guilds, journeymen often traveled to gain experience before applying for master status.

Master

a highly skilled craftsman who has completed training as an apprentice and journeyman, often overseeing workshops and training new apprentices. In medieval guilds, becoming a master required creating a "masterpiece" to prove one's skill.

Eli Whitney—cotton gin

an invention that mechanized the process of cleaning the seeds out of cotton tufts

Mercantilism

an economic theory that emphasized the importance of accumulating wealth, particularly gold and silver, through trade surpluses. It promoted government regulation of trade and colonies to strengthen the nation's economic power.

Tariff

tax imposed on imported goods to protect domestic industries, raise government revenue, or influence trade policies. It often makes foreign goods more expensive to encourage consumers to buy locally produced items.

Adam Smith

a Scottish economist and philosopher, often referred to as the father of modern economics. His seminal work, The Wealth of Nations (1776), promoted ideas of free markets, competition, and the economic benefits of self-interest, which shaped capitalist economic systems.

The Wealth of Nations

a foundational work in economics (by Adam Smith) that argues for free-market capitalism. It discusses how individuals acting in their own self-interest can unintentionally benefit society, with the "invisible hand" guiding economic prosperity and efficiency.

Invisible hand

a concept introduced by Adam Smith, referring to the self-regulating nature of a free market. It suggests that individuals pursuing their own self-interest unintentionally contribute to the overall economic well-being of society, as if guided by an unseen force;
the idea that your self interest allows you to produce something that people want

empire

absorbed smaller civilizations around them, and imposed their language, law, religion, and culture on them

settler societies

created by Europeans in the Americas—communities formed when people from one country settle in a new land, often displacing indigenous populations. These societies typically establish new political, economic, and social structures that reflect the values and interests of the settlers.

mestizo

descendants of Spaniards and Natives

mulatto

descendants of Spaniards and Africans

creole

Spanish and Portuguese men who found European immigrant women to marry

Aborigine

native people of Australia

Maori

The culture of Polynesian people of New Zealand that involved waging constant, bloody tribal wars for men to demonstrate their ferocity; they were able to maintain culture as opposed to Native Americans and Aborigines

Afrikaners/Boers

Dutch settlers of South Africa

Seven Years War

conflict between France and Great Britain as a result of a dispute over North American land claims

English East India Company

a British trading corporation owned by thousands of investors that had been trading in India with the permission of the Mughal Empire since about 1600

Mughal Empire

produced about a quarter of all manufactured goods in the world, mostly cotton textiles, silk, ships, and steel

Sepoy Rebellion

native Indian soldiers employed by the BEIC who revolted due to employers sabotaging their cartridge with the fat of pigs and cows, animals who are sacred to their cultures. British army took control of the revolution

Opium War

Europe grows opium to make more trade with China through the drug cartel—caused an outbreak of addiction in China—China burns the opium and British declare war and forces China to accept their drug trade

extraterritoriality

a legal principle that allows foreigners to be exempt from local laws and instead be governed by the laws of their home country. It was often imposed by Western powers in treaties with weaker nations, such as in 19th-century China and the Ottoman Empire.

Conference of Berlin-1884

a meeting of European powers to regulate the colonization and trade of Africa, dividing the continent without African input. It intensified imperialism, leading to the "Scramble for Africa" and long-term consequences for African nations.

King Leopold II

ruled from 1865 to 1909 and is infamous for his brutal exploitation of the Congo Free State. Under his control, millions of Congolese suffered forced labor, violence, and atrocities in the extraction of rubber and other resources.

racism

the belief that lighter skin was superior to darker skin, the idea arising because Europe believed their success with their empire was because of this factor

social Darwinism

the theory that humans evolved into different races with different mental capacities

sati

the Indian practice of burning themselves and their husbands’ bodies as high caste widows to reunite in recarnation

Meiji Reform

Japanese Samurai sent bright young men to be educated by experts to avoid colonization by Europe

Corporation

business owned by many shareholders (holding a share of the business/company stock). Profits are earned based off of how much shareholders invest

Monopoly

when one company is the only one selling something, they have all the power to set the prices and rules

Labor union

when workers team up to make sure they get fair pay, good working conditions and fair treatment from employers

Haymarket Square

Anarchist speaker was speaking up about unfair treatment in the workplace, police attacked him, then someone threw a bomb at the police which caused a riot

Anarchism

the belief that someone is better off without government. Typically behaved erratically to get what they wanted

Karl Marx

German philosopher and economist who co-wrote The Communist Manifesto and developed the theory of communism. He criticized capitalism, arguing that class struggle would lead to a revolution where workers (proletariat) would overthrow the ruling class (bourgeoisie) and establish a classless society.

Friedrich Engels

German philosopher, economist, and close collaborator of Karl Marx. He co-wrote The Communist Manifesto and supported Marx’s work on Das Kapital, helping to develop the foundations of communist theory and critique capitalism.

Communism/Marxism

the idea that no one would own private property and work would no longer be done by the urging of the profit motive—instead, workers in bakeries, shoe factories, and coal mines would voluntarily share their products “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need”

Bourgeoisie

rich business owners

Proletariat

workers for rich business owners

The Communist Manifesto

a political pamphlet calling for the overthrow of capitalism and the establishment of a classless society. It argues that history is shaped by class struggle and urges workers (proletariat) to unite against the ruling class (bourgeoisie).

Alienation

a disconnection from things that we should enjoy

Socialism

the belief that capitalism is the most effective wealth-producing force in history, but that, unregulated, it leads to increasing injustice, inequality, and social tension

Welfare state

the state of which everyone’s needs are met, not just higher classes

Czar

Russian leaders based in Moscow

Serf

Impoverished peasants legally bound to the land

Boyar

noble families of powerful landowners/military leaders

Alexander II

the Tsar of Russia from 1855 to 1881, known for his reforms, including the emancipation of serfs in 1861. Despite these efforts, his reign ended with his assassination, largely due to opposition from radical groups.

March Revolution (1917)

occurs as a result of food and fuel shortages, mutinying soldiers. Democracy is able to be set up in Russia due to these events

Vladimir Lenin

a Russian revolutionary and the leader of the Bolshevik Party who played a key role in the 1917 Russian Revolution. He founded the Soviet Union, promoting Marxist-Leninist ideology and establishing a one-party state.

Bolshevik Revolution

the event where a radical communist group organized by Lenin overthrew the Russian provisional government

Marxist-Leninism

dictatorship is enforced by Bolsheviks before communism

Peace, Land, Bread

the offering of immediate solutions by Lenin, offered to Russian government

Gulags

where Russians are imprisoned by Lenin due to offenses such as minor mistreatment of government—lead to high mortality rates

Politburo

the central leadership body of the Soviet Union

Soviet Union/USSR

a socialist state that existed from 1922 to 1991, formed after the Russian Revolution. It was governed by the Communist Party and became a major world power, but dissolved in 1991 due to economic struggles, political unrest, and the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.

New Economic Policy/NEP

implemented by Lenin and opposed the communism that owned banks, power stations, etc.; supported the growth of small businesses, farmers, and allowed them to grain profit

Joseph Stalin

the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. He implemented policies of rapid industrialization, collectivization of agriculture, and purges of perceived enemies, leading to widespread repression, famine, and millions of deaths.

Five-year plans

set goals for industrial and agricultural production and had an amazing success—rescuing Russia from feudal poverty and technological backwardness

Collectivization

enforcement of government control

Kulaks

most successful peasant farmers who were sent by Stalin to be shot for not giving up their land for the government

Double burden

the situation where women are expected to balance both paid work and unpaid domestic responsibilities, such as childcare and household chores. This concept highlights the unequal distribution of labor and the challenges women face in managing both roles.

Comintern

organization to train radical leftists to overthrow governments with their own communist revolutions

Atomic bomb

invented by the US—ended WWII

Hydrogen bomb

produced by Russian physicists and is more destructive

MAD

a military doctrine during the Cold War, where both the U.S. and the Soviet Union had enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other completely. The idea was that neither side would initiate a nuclear conflict because it would lead to their own destruction as well.