Pre-Ap World: Early Modern Period

Ferdinand and Isabella

The king and queen of Spain who gave money to Columbus for his trip and finished taking back Spain from Muslim rulers.

Treaty of Tordesillas

An agreement in 1494 that split the world between Spain and Portugal, giving Spain the Americas and Portugal Africa and Asia.

Conquistadors

Spanish soldiers and explorers who went to the Americas to take land and wealth, like Cortés and Pizarro.

Aztec Empire

A powerful Native empire in Mexico with great cities and temples, conquered by Cortés in 1521.

Inca Empire

A large Native empire in South America known for its roads and cities, conquered by Pizarro in 1533.

Encomienda System

A system where Spanish settlers forced Native people to work for them in return for supposed protection and religion.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Americas, Europe, and Africa after Columbus’s trips.

Spanish Colonial Rule

The way Spain controlled its colonies in the Americas by using Native labor, spreading Christianity, and taking resources.

Mission System

Churches set up by Spain in the Americas to teach Native people about Christianity and European ways.

Hacienda

Large farms or estates where Native people or enslaved Africans were forced to work for Spanish landowners.

Black Legend

A story that said Spanish colonizers were especially cruel to Native people, focusing on their violence and forced labor.

Reconquista

A long war in Spain to take back land from Muslim rulers, ending in 1492 when the last Muslim kingdom was defeated.

Catholic Missions

Places where Spanish priests taught Native Americans about Christianity and tried to change their cultures.

Viceroy

A person sent by the king of Spain to rule a colony, like a governor, and take care of taxes and trade.

Atlantic Slave Trade

The transport of enslaved Africans to the Americas to work on farms and in mines, including those in Spanish colonies.

Indigenous Peoples

The original inhabitants of a region or country before colonization by outsiders, like Native Americans in North and South America.

Sedentary

A lifestyle where people stay in one place and build permanent homes, often based around farming.

Pueblo

A type of home built by Native Americans in the Southwest, made of stone and adobe.

Agricultural Revolution

The time when Native American groups, like the Ancestral Puebloans and the Iroquois, began to farm and build permanent settlements.

Impact of Disease on Native Americans

European diseases like smallpox and measles killed millions of Native Americans, as they had no immunity to these diseases.

Columbian Diseases

Diseases like smallpox that Europeans brought to the Americas, which killed many Native people.

Maritime Innovations

New tools and ideas that helped people travel across the sea, like compasses, maps, and better ships.

Triangular Trade

A trade route that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas, where goods, slaves, and raw materials were exchanged.

Mercantilism

An economic system where colonies are used to make money for the home country by providing raw materials and buying finished goods.

Ottoman Empire

A large empire in the Middle East and parts of Europe and Africa that controlled important trade routes.

Scientific Revolution

A time in Europe when new ideas in science and math changed the way people understood the world.

Syncretism

When different religions, cultures, or beliefs mix together to form something new.

Lateen Sail

A triangle-shaped sail that helped ships sail in any direction.

Astrolabe

A tool used by sailors to measure the position of stars and help them find their way across the sea.

Plantation Economy

An economy based on large farms that grew crops like sugar, tobacco, and cotton.

Mughal Empire

A large empire in India known for its beautiful buildings and its combination of different cultures and religions.

Portuguese Exploration

Portugal's efforts to explore new trade routes by sea.

Spanish Conquest

The process by which Spain took control of large parts of the Americas.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer, sponsored by Spain, who 'discovered' the Americas in 1492.

New World

The name Europeans gave to the Americas after they were 'discovered' by explorers like Columbus.

Old World

The term used to describe Europe, Asia, and Africa before the discovery of the Americas.

Balance of Trade

The difference between the value of a country’s exports and imports.

Trade Monopoly

When one country or company has control over the supply and trade of a particular good.

Globalization

The process by which different countries become more connected through trade, culture, and technology.