European Exploration and Settlement

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to the European exploration and settlement of the Americas from the provided lecture notes.

Prince Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese royal who was instrumental in early maritime exploration.

Reconquista

The period of history in Spain during which Christians reclaimed land from Muslim rule.

Conquistadores

Spanish explorers and conquerors who took control of large parts of the Americas.

Requerimiento

A declaration of Spanish sovereignty demanding natives’ acceptance of Spanish rule.

Viceroyalty of New Spain

A colonial administrative district in the Americas under direct Spanish rule.

Peninsulares

Spaniards born in Spain who held the highest social status in colonial Latin America.

Creoles

Individuals born in the Americas to Spanish parents.

Mestizos

People of mixed Spanish and Indigenous ancestry.

Encomienda

A system where Spanish settlers were granted land and the labor of the natives.

Bartolome de las Casas

A Spanish missionary who criticized the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples.

Law of Burgos

Regulations designed to protect the rights of Indigenous people in the Spanish colonies.

Pieces of Eight

Spanish silver coins that became a global currency in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Treaty of Tordesillas

Agreement between Spain and Portugal dividing new lands for colonization.

Black Legend

A term for the anti-Spanish propaganda depicting Spanish actions in a negative light.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607.

Mayflower

The ship that transported the Pilgrims to North America in 1620.

King Philip's War

A conflict between New England colonists and Native American groups led by Metacom.

French and Indian War

A conflict in North America between France and Britain from 1754 to 1763.

Samuel de Champlain

The French explorer known as the Father of New France.

Coureurs de bois

French fur traders who lived among and traded with Indigenous tribes.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement in the 16th century that led to the establishment of Protestant churches.

Hacienda

Large estates in Spanish America where cash crops were cultivated with Indigenous labor.

Spanish Armada

The fleet sent by Spain in 1588 to invade England; defeated by the English navy.

Overpopulation

A contributing factor to English colonization efforts as younger sons sought land.

Joint Stock Companies

Businesses formed by investors to fund colonial ventures and share profits.

Metacom

Wampanoag leader who united Native tribes against English settlers.