TCI Unit 1 Lessons 4 & 5

Age of Exploration

the period of time, beginning in the late 1400s, in which European explorers sought new routes to Asia and discovered the Americas

Explorer

A person who travels in search of new geographical information

the Americas

the land masses of North America, Central America, and South America

astrolabe

an early scientific tool used to observe and calculate the position of the sun and other stars

cash crop

a crop that is grown in large quantities for sale

native peoples

were enslaved by Europeans to work in gold and silver mines.

compass

works by Earth's magnetic field

gold

was important to Europeans because they measured wealth in gold and silver

religious goal

many European explorers were inspired to spread their beliefs

New World crops

potatoes and squash

colony

a community ruled by another country, not by its own people

conquistador

a Spanish explorer who came to the Americas in the 1500s and claimed large areas of land for Spain

contagious disease

a sickness that can pass quickly from one person to another as germs are spread by touch or through the air

East Indies

a term used mostly in the past for Southeast Asia, including modern-day India, Indonesia, and Malaysia

Northwest Passage

the supposed route across the northern part of North America that Europeans were looking for but never found

Why did Spain explore?

The rulers wanted a shorter route to the East Indies to get silks and spices

Juan Ponce de León

looked for the fountain of youth

Hernán Cortés

fought against the Aztecs in Mexico

Many Native Americans died

from contagious diseases because they were exposed to diseases that spread quickly.

Coronado

explored what is now the southwestern United States

Lasalle

explored the Mississippi River