unit 4 vocab ap world

caravel

A small, highly maneuverable ship used by the Portuguese and Spanish for exploration during the 15th - 17th centuries.

carrack

A large trading merchant ship active in European waters, particularly by the Portuguese from the 14th-17th century.

fluyt

A Dutch sailing vessel designed for Baltic trade, maximizing space and crew efficiency, used from the 16th to 17th centuries.

Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese prince (1394-1460) who promoted navigation studies and expeditions down the western coast of Africa.

Vasco da Gama

A Portuguese explorer who led the first naval expedition from Europe to India between 1497-1498.

Ferdinand Magellan

A Portuguese navigator who led the first expedition to sail around the world from 1519 to 1522.

trading post empire

An empire focused on controlling trade rather than subject populations, practiced by Europeans in the Indian Ocean.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian navigator who discovered the New World in 1492 while seeking a direct sea route to the Indian Ocean.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus' voyages.

Mercantilism

An economic system prevalent from the 16th to 19th centuries, where nations aimed to increase wealth by accumulating gold and silver.

The Great Dying

The demographic impact of European diseases on indigenous populations in the Americas, resulting in the death of 50-90% of the population.

chattel slavery

A form of slavery where individuals are treated as personal property to be bought and sold, often hereditary.

mita system

An economic system in Inca society where subjects paid taxes with labor and products for a set period, later exploited by the Spanish.

indentured servitude

A labor system where workers agreed to work for a certain number of years in exchange for passage to an overseas destination.

encomienda

A labor tribute system used by the Spanish in the Americas granting colonists the right to collect tribute or labor from Indigenous people.

hacienda

A large estate or plantation in Spanish colonies producing goods for local or export markets using wage laborers or Indigenous workers.

joint-stock company

An exploration company owned by shareholders who shared profits and debts, financed exploration and competition for trade.

Vodun/Vodoo

A syncretic faith in the New World combining African animist beliefs with Roman Catholic Christianity.

Santeria

A religion originating in Cuba that blends African traditions with Roman Catholic beliefs.

casta paintings

Paintings commissioned by the Spanish depicting the racial mixing of families in the New World.

mestizo

A term used by Spanish authorities for individuals of mixed native American and European descent.

mulatto

A term used in Spanish and Portuguese colonies for individuals of mixed African and European descent.

Creoles

Descendants of Spanish-born individuals born in Latin America, often resented their lower social and political status.

peninsulares

Spanish-born individuals who immigrated to Latin America, occupying the highest social class.

Nat Turner's Rebellion

A rebellion by enslaved Virginians led by Nat Turner in 1831, representing resistance to authority.

British East India Company

A British joint-stock company controlling India during imperialism, managing political, social, and economic life for over 200 years.

Dutch East India Company

A Dutch chartered joint-stock company that dominated the spice trade in the East Indies.

Triangular Trade

A trade system (1600-1800s) involving Africa, the Americas, and Europe, centered on enslaved people and raw materials.

coercive labor

Labor systems that involve force, including slavery and indentured servitude.

bullion

Gold and silver in bar form.

Charters

Documents granting the right to organize settlements in an area.

Mercantilism

An economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by regulating the economy to obtain large amounts of gold and silver.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Prince of Portugal who established an observatory and school of navigation, directing voyages that spurred Portugal's colonial growth.

Ming Dynasty

The peak of Chinese civilization from 1368-1644 known for peace, prosperity, and significant exploration.

Portuguese Empire

Europe's early leader in exploration, establishing trading posts in Africa and India.

Global Silver Trade

The trade of silver between the Americas, Europe, and onward to China from the 16th to 18th centuries.

Spanish Empire

One of the largest empires in history, controlled from Spain, established after Columbus's voyages.

Plantation Agriculture

A production system based on large estates to produce cash crops.

Cash Crop

A crop produced for commercial value rather than for use by the grower.

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

The forced migration of 12-15 million Africans to the Western Hemisphere from the 15th-19th century.

Indigenous

Native to a certain area.

Encomienda System

System granting settlers the right to tax local Native Americans or make them work in exchange for protection.

Tokugawa Shogunate

A semi-feudal government of Japan maintaining isolation and unifying the country under shogun rule.

Closed Country Edict

Document restricting Japanese trade with the outside world.

Dutch East India Company

Government-chartered joint-stock company controlling the spice trade in the East Indies.

British East India Company

Company that set up trading posts in India during the 1600s.

Joint-stock Company

A business model that sold shares to raise capital for trading enterprises.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world.

Smallpox

Highly contagious disease that caused death among Native Americans.

Coercive Labor

Any labor system involving force, such as slavery or serfdom.

Aztec Empire

Central American empire expanded during the 15th century under Mexica rulers.

Inca Empire

Empire in Peru conquered by Pizarro in 1535.

Voodoo

A syncretic belief system combining traditional African religious beliefs with Christianity.

Santeria

Cuban religion combining Catholic and West African beliefs.

Candomble

African religious practices in Brazil among the Yoruba people.

Maroon Societies

Communities formed by escaped slaves in the Americas.

Slave Rebellions

Resistances by slaves through slow work, damage or escape, including notable uprisings in the US.

Caravel

A small, highly maneuverable ship used by Portuguese and Spanish explorers.

Kongo

Central African state that began trading with the Portuguese around 1500.

Asante Kingdom

Kingdom that emerged in the 1700s in present-day Ghana, active in the slave trade.

Compass

An instrument showing the direction of magnetic north.

Creoles

People of European descent born in the New World during colonial Spanish America.

Mestizos and Mulattoes

Individuals of mixed descent between Europeans and Latin Americans or Africans.