Intro to Euro Exploration

Merchant Class

A new social class that emerged due to the rise of commerce, advancing trade and sea travel.

New Monarchs

Rulers who arose in Western Europe due to the weak authority of the Pope and Holy Roman Emperor.

Maritime Capabilities

Increased abilities for sea travel that allowed discussions of safer routes to Asia.

Prince Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese prince who set off to find Asia through a West African route.

Bartholomeu Dias

The explorer who sailed around the Cape of Good Hope after the death of Prince Henry.

Vasco de Gama

The explorer who sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and reached India.

Christopher Columbus

An explorer who miscalculated his journey to Asia, believing he reached Japan but actually landing in the Bahamas.

Ferdinand and Isabella

The new monarchs of Spain whom Columbus turned to after being turned down by Portugal.

Amerigo Vespucci

A Florentine merchant who recognized the Americas as new continents and named them 'Americas'.

Vasco de Balboa

The first known European to gaze upon the Pacific Ocean.

Ferdinand Magellan

An explorer who crossed the Isthmus of Panama and named the Pacific Ocean.

Circumnavigation of the Globe

The first known journey around the world, completed between 1519-1522.

Conquistadores

Spanish conquerors who claimed all of the New World except for Brazil.

Hernando Cortes

The conquistador who went to Mexico in search of treasures and met the Aztecs.

Montezuma

The leader of the Aztecs who encountered Hernando Cortes.

Smallpox Epidemic

An outbreak that decimated the Aztec population after being introduced by Cortes.

Francisco Pizarro

The conquistador who opened the way for advances into South America.

Hernando de Soto

The first white man to cross the Mississippi River during an expedition.

Francisco Coronado

An explorer who traveled into present-day New Mexico looking for treasures.

Southwest of the US

The region opened to Spanish settlement by Francisco Coronado's explorations.

Spanish America

Region established by Spanish colonization, marked by the imposition of Spanish culture and religion.

Ordinances of Discovery

Banned the most brutal military conquests after Spanish military established dominion in the US.

Encomiendas

Licenses to exact labor and tribute from natives.

St. Augustine, Florida

First permanent European settlement in the US, serving as a military outpost and administrative center.

Don Juan de Onate

Claimed land of Pueblo Indians and formed a Spanish Colony in present day New Mexico.

Pueblo Revolt of 1680

A rebellion that pushed out Spanish after they tried to shut down native people's tribal rituals.

Catholic missions

Institutions established to convert natives to Catholicism, guarded by military presidios.

Military presidios

Fortified military outposts that protected missions and settlers.

Spanish settlers

Individuals who aimed to create a profitable agricultural economy in the new territories.

Spanish church

Established Catholicism as the only religion in the new territories.

Pueblo relationship

Improved greatly after the removal of Onate as governor due to harsh treatment.

Cattle and sheep focus

Shift in Spanish economic focus from gold to livestock.

Baptize Indian babies

A method used to enforce observation of Catholic rituals among native populations.

Permit Pueblos to own land

A strategy to ease tensions and improve relations with the Pueblo people.

Common threat

The shared danger posed by Navajo and Apache peoples that united Spanish and Pueblo.

Franciscan missionaries

Religious figures who played a key role in establishing missions and converting natives.

Spanish power

Spain became the most rich and powerful nation for a time due to the wealth from the Americas.

Pueblo tribal rituals

Cultural practices of the Pueblo people that were suppressed by Spanish authorities.

Spanish return

The eventual return of Spanish forces to crush the Pueblo Revolt.

Spanish Empire

One of the largest empires in history, expanding across North and South America.

Monarchy of Spain

Extended authority to Spanish colonies, imposing rigid and restrictive rules on trade.

Trade Restrictions

Colonies could only trade through a single Spanish port and a few colonial ones, limiting fleets to no more than 2 voyages a year.

Ruling Class

A small ruling class established by the Spanish, contrasting with a much larger population of natives.

Demographic Catastrophe

Over 90% of native populations in the New World died due to European diseases.

Cultural Exchange

Native tribes began to domesticate horses and cultivate new crops and European livestock.

American Crops

Crops exchanged included maize, pumpkins, beans, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes.

Hybrid Cultures

Formation of hybrids of Spanish and Christianity with American ways of language and religion.

Intermarriage

Occurs within the colonies, leading to a racial hierarchy influenced by status.

Labor Demand

Created various labor systems closely related to slavery due to the low native population.

Slave Trade

Europeans began bringing in slaves from Africa as the native population continued to decrease.

New Arrivals

Most new arrivals in the Americas came from Africa, with Europeans viewing them as primitive.

Ghana and Mali

Ghana was replaced by Mali as a large trading and education center.

Southern African Civilizations

Cultivated land and domestic livestock, engaging in extensive trade despite limited access to Europe.

African Societies

Developed in nomadic, hunter-gatherer, or sedentary farming-based societies.

Matrilineal Society

A society where women play a significant role alongside men.

Polytheistic Beliefs

Tribes believed in sprites residing in trees, rocks, forests, and streams.

Priests in Society

Regarded as chief figures, playing an important role in the social hierarchy.

Social Hierarchy

Consisted of a small group of elites, priests, and nobles, with most people being farmers or crafters.

Slavery Causes

Slavery arose due to debt, war crimes, and prisoners.

Feudalism

Medieval land system where king granted land to nobles in exchange for loyalty and military service

Black Death

Aka Bubonic Plague, killed over one third of Europe's population and much more of the Native Americans when Europeans brought diseases over

St. Augustine

Fort/city in Florida used as a Spanish military outpost, hq, and admin center, was the first European settlement in North America

Columbian exchange

Exchange/trade of crops, diseases, livestock, etc. across the Americas, EU, Asia, and Africa

Pueblo revolt

Pueblo people resisting Spanish as they tried to shut down pueblo tribal rituals

Mercantilism

An assumption that the whole nation was the principal actor in the economy, trying to increase national wealth

Protestant reformation

Began when Martin Luther challenged beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany, new branch of Christianity was created due to Luther's mass following

English reformation

Occurred due to a political dispute when King Henry VIII wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon but the Pope rejected him, established himself as the new head of the English Church

Puritans

Protestants who wanted to purify the church