Honors World History Midterm Vocab

Ming Dynasty

Dominant Asian power (1368–1644) established by Hongwu after driving out the Mongols.

Qing Dynasty

Dynasty founded by the Manchus, marked by advancements in agriculture like irrigation and fertilization.

Chinese Tribute System

System where territories like Korea and Southeast Asia paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty to recognize its power.

Hongwu

Founder of the Ming Dynasty who expelled the Mongols and implemented Confucian reforms.

Confucianism

Ethical and philosophical system emphasizing morality, hierarchy, and social harmony.

Zheng He

Muslim admiral who led seven treasure voyages, showcasing Chinese power and distributing gifts.

Beijing & Forbidden City

Grand palace built in Beijing under Yonglo to symbolize Ming authority.

Great Wall of China

Originally begun during the Qing Dynasty, it was rebuilt and fortified by the Ming.

Manchus

People from northeast of the Great Wall who established the Qing Dynasty after seizing Beijing.

Kangxi

Early Qing emperor who gained intellectual support by offering government roles.

Renaissance

Cultural rebirth in Europe emphasizing art, science, and humanism.

Korea

Peninsula near China, heavily influenced by Confucianism and Chinese governance.

Manchuria

Region northeast of the Great Wall, homeland of the Manchus.

Mughal

Indian empire known for cultural blending and architectural achievements like the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal

Mausoleum built by Shah Jahan to honor his wife, symbolizing Mughal grandeur.

Feudal Contract (Tokugawa)

System of loyalty between daimyo, samurai, and shogun in Tokugawa Japan.

Shogun

Military ruler in feudal Japan, holding the highest power under the emperor.

Daimyo

Powerful Japanese landowners and lords under the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Tokugawa Shogunate

Japanese regime (1603–1868) promoting isolationism and a rigid social structure.

Indulgences

Pardons sold by the Catholic Church, sparking criticism during the Reformation.

Age of Reformation

Period of religious reform in Europe, leading to Protestantism and challenges to the Catholic Church.

Divine Right of Kings

Belief that monarchs' authority comes directly from God.

Scientific Revolution

Period of groundbreaking advancements in science and questioning traditional views.

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement emphasizing reason, individualism, and reform.

Scientific Method

Systematic process for experimentation and observation to develop theories.

Protestant

Christian group that broke from Catholicism during the Reformation.

Thirty Years War

Religious and political conflict in Europe (1618–1648) involving Protestants and Catholics.

Huguenots

French Protestants who faced persecution during the Reformation.

Edict of Nantes

1598 decree granting religious tolerance to Huguenots in France.

Physiocrat

Enlightenment thinkers advocating for free-market economics and agricultural focus.

Heliocentric

Sun-centered model of the universe proposed by Copernicus.

Geocentric

Earth-centered model of the universe supported by the Church before the Scientific Revolution.

Free Market

Economic system where prices are determined by supply and demand.

Counter-Reformation

Catholic Church's response to the Reformation, including reforms and the Council of Trent.

Patrons

Supporters of the arts during the Renaissance, funding artists and architects.

Spanish Armada

Spanish naval fleet defeated by England in 1588, marking a shift in European power.

Peace of Westphalia

Treaties ending the Thirty Years War, recognizing state sovereignty.

Nepotism

Favoritism based on family ties, especially in political or church appointments.

Council of Trent

Catholic council (1545–1563) addressing abuses and defining doctrines during the Counter-Reformation.

Constitutional Monarchy

Government where a monarch's power is limited by a constitution or parliament.

Joint Stock Company

Business structure where investors share profits and risks, used in colonization efforts.

Explorer

Individuals who traveled to discover new lands and trade routes.

Conquistador

Spanish conquerors of the Americas, known for subjugating native civilizations.

Mestizo

Mixed-race population of European and Native American descent.

Encomienda

Spanish labor system exploiting native populations in the Americas.

Treaty of Tordesillas

1494 agreement dividing New World territories between Spain and Portugal.

Line of Demarcation

Boundary set by the Treaty of Tordesillas to allocate lands for Spain and Portugal.

Mercantilism

Economic policy focused on accumulating wealth through trade and colonies.

Triangle Trade

Trade system linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas, including the Middle Passage.

Middle Passage

Harrowing transatlantic journey enslaved Africans endured.

Dutch East India Company

Powerful trading company controlling trade in Asia.

Indentured Servitude

System where individuals worked to pay off passage to the Americas.

Columbian Exchange

Exchange of goods, ideas, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds.

King Philip’s War

Conflict between Native Americans and New England settlers (1675–1678).

French & Indian War

North American conflict between France and Britain, part of the Seven Years' War.

Puritans

Religious group seeking to purify the Church of England, settled in New England.

Pilgrims

English separatists who established Plymouth Colony in 1620.

New France

French colonial empire in North America focused on fur trade.

New Netherlands

Dutch colonial settlement in present-day New York.

Jamestown

First permanent English settlement in America, established in 1607.

1st Estate

Clergy in pre-revolutionary France, exempt from taxation.

2nd Estate

Nobility in France, privileged and exempt from taxes.

3rd Estate

Commoners in France, burdened by taxes and pivotal in the French Revolution.

National Assembly

Revolutionary assembly formed by the Third Estate in 1789.

Tennis Court Oath

Pledge by the National Assembly to create a new French constitution.

Estates General

Assembly of representatives from all three French estates.

Causes of the French Revolution

Financial crisis, social inequality, and Enlightenment ideas.

Bastille

Prison stormed on July 14, 1789, symbolizing the start of the French Revolution.

Great Fear

Widespread panic and peasant revolts in France during 1789.

Versailles

Lavish palace symbolizing the absolute power of Louis XIV and French monarchy.

Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker who advocated dividing government powers into legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent tyranny.

Machiavelli

Political philosopher who wrote The Prince, advising rulers to use pragmatism and cunning to maintain power.

Sir Thomas More

Humanist who wrote Utopia, describing an ideal society based on equality and communal ownership.

Michelangelo

Renaissance artist and sculptor known for masterpieces like David, The Pietà, and the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Petrarch

Renaissance scholar who emphasized the study of classical texts and individual achievement, father of Humanism

Henry VIII

English king who broke from the Catholic Church to form the Church of England, primarily to annul his marriage.

Isabella d’Este

Influential Renaissance patron known as "The First Lady of the Renaissance" for her support of the arts.

Artemisia Gentileschi

Baroque painter celebrated for her dramatic depictions of biblical and mythological heroines.

Sofonisba Anguissola

Renaissance artist known for her portraits and as one of the first prominent female painters in Europe.

Leonardo da Vinci

Renaissance polymath famous for works like The Last Supper and Mona Lisa and contributions to science and engineering.

Cervantes

Spanish author of Don Quixote, considered one of the greatest works of Western literature.

John Locke

Philosopher who argued for natural rights of life, liberty, and property, influencing democratic thought.

Nicolaus Copernicus

Astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model, challenging Church teachings about Earth's central position.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Enlightenment thinker who advocated for popular sovereignty and the social contract as foundations of government.

Robert Boyle

Chemist known as the "Father of Modern Chemistry" for his law on gases and promoting the scientific method.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Advocate for women's rights, author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, calling for gender equality in education.

Brunelleschi

Renaissance architect best known for designing the dome of the Florence Cathedral.

Raphael

Renowned Renaissance painter famous for The School of Athens and his Madonnas.

Francis Drake

English explorer and naval commander who circumnavigated the globe and helped defeat the Spanish Armada.

Babur

Founder of the Mughal Empire in India, known for his military conquests and cultural achievements.

Akbar

Mughal emperor who promoted religious tolerance, expanded the empire, and strengthened centralized governance.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese prince who funded voyages and established a school for navigation, advancing exploration.

Bartolomeu Dias

Portuguese explorer who was the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa.

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese navigator who found a sea route to India, opening direct trade with Asia.

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer who, under Spain's patronage, reached the Americas in 1492, initiating European colonization.

Ferdinand Magellan

Led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, though he was killed in the Philippines.

Pedro Álvares Cabral

Portuguese explorer credited with discovering Brazil.

Vasco Núñez de Balboa

Spanish explorer who crossed the Isthmus of Panama and was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.

Hernando Cortés

Spanish conquistador who overthrew the Aztec Empire in Mexico.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in Peru.