Age of Exploration Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for key terms and figures from the Age of Exploration and Colonization.

The 3 Gs

Motives for European exploration: Gold (wealth), God (spread Christianity), Glory (national competition).

Silk Road

Series of trade routes connecting Asia to the Mediterranean Sea, facilitating trade and cultural exchange.

Diffusion

The spread of ideas, customs, technologies, and beliefs from one culture to another.

Indigenous

Native to a particular region or environment.

Trading Companies

Joint-stock companies, like those created by the British, to manage colonization efforts and trade.

Columbian Exchange

The global exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Old World (Europe, Asia, and Africa) and the New World (the Americas).

Cash Crop

A crop grown for sale and profit rather than for subsistence.

Triangular Trade

A trade pattern connecting Africa, the Americas, and Europe, often involving the trade of slaves, raw materials, and manufactured goods.

Mercantilism

An economic policy based on the belief that a nation's wealth is determined by its accumulation of gold and silver, achieved through a favorable balance of trade (more exports than imports) and colonial possessions.

Commercial Revolution

A period of economic expansion, colonialism, and mercantilism in Europe during and after the Age of Exploration. Led to inflation.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese prince who sponsored exploration along the coast of West Africa.

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer who was the first to reach India by sea, opening a direct trade route.

Columbus

Sailing for Spain, he is known for his voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, leading to European awareness of the Americas.

Cortez

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztec Empire in Mexico.

Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in Peru.

Magellan

Led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, proving the Earth was round and connected by sea.

Drake

English sea captain who circumnavigated the globe.

Cartier

French explorer known for his exploration of Canada.

Charles V

Hapsburg monarch, ruler of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, and supporter of exploration.