AP us history unit 1 vocab

Aztec

dominant civilization in central Mexico in the 14th to early 16th centuries, known for Tenochtitlan, a very powerful city

Inca

South American empire in the Andes region from the early 1400s to the mid-1500s

What’s the Mississippi River Valley?

The region around the Mississippi River, especially in the Midwest and Southeast of modern-day U.S, most famous for the Mississippian culture

Tribute

A system where conquered peoples or subjects give goods, crops, or labor to rulers or a higher authority. It shows political control and social hierarchy.

Empire

A large political unit or state, usually under a single ruler, that controls multiple peoples or territories, often through conquest, tribute, or trade.

Chiefdom

A form of political organization where one leader (a chief) rules over a community or multiple villages. Common in North America.

Confederacy

A loose alliance of independent groups (villages, tribes, or nations) that cooperate for defense, trade, or diplomacy but keep local autonomy. Make shared decisions.

Feudalism

A political, economic, and social system in medieval Europe (roughly 9th–15th century). A hierarchical system Kings/monarchs granted land to lords/nobles.Vassals/knights pledged loyalty and military service to nobles.Peasants/serfs farmed the land in return for protection.

Republic

A political system in which power rests with citizens (usually property-owning men), who govern themselves through elected representatives rather than a monarch.

Kingdoms

A territorial state ruled by a monarch (king or queen).Power is centralized, usually hereditary, and claims authority over a defined population and land.

Ministates

A small political unit with limited territory and population.Usually autonomous, sometimes with a single chief, king, or council.Unlike large kingdoms or empires, ministates operate independently and often rely on trade or alliances for survival

Civic Humanism

A philosophy that emphasizes active participation in public life and government as a duty of citizens. Citizens and the common people deserve a role in government

The Renaissance

A cultural, intellectual, and artistic revival in Europe (14th–17th centuries), inspired by classical Greece and Rome.Emphasized humanism, art, science, exploration, and individual achievement.

Guilds

Associations of artisans or merchants who controlled the practice, quality, and prices of their trade.

Matriarchal/Patriarchal

A social system where power, authority, or lineage is traced through women (mothers).

Peasants

The majority of Europe’s population in the Middle Ages and early modern period.Poor farmers who worked the land, often under a lord’s control (in feudalism) or as tenant farmers.

Heresies

Beliefs or practices that go against the official teachings of the Catholic Church.Considered dangerous because they challenged religious and political unity in Europe.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement beginning in 1517 when Martin Luther (a German monk) protested corruption in the Catholic Church (like indulgences).Sparked a split in Western Christianity, creating Protestant denominations (Lutherans, Calvinists, Anglicans, etc.) separate from the Catholic Church.

Predestination

The idea that you are predetermined your future in heaven or hell

Counter Reformation

The Catholic Church’s response to the Protestant Reformation (mid-1500s).A movement to reform the Church internally and reassert Catholic authority worldwide.

Islam

A monotheistic religion founded in the 7th century by the prophet Muhammad in Arabia.

Trans-Saharan trade

A vast trade network across the Sahara Desert, linking West Africa with North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East (from about 8th–16th centuries).

Animism

A spiritual belief system that sees the natural world (animals, plants, rivers, rocks, weather) as infused with spiritual power.

Prince Henry of Portugal (The Navigator)

A Portuguese prince (1394–1460).Called “the Navigator” not because he sailed himself, but because he sponsored exploration and built the foundation for Portugal’s overseas empire.

Bartolomeu Dias

A Portuguese explorer and nobleman. First European to round the southern tip of Africa.

vasco da gama

Portuguese explorer and navigator.Sponsored by King Manuel I of Portugal.

Cabot

Italian navigator (Giovanni Caboto) sailing under English sponsorship (King Henry VII).

Vespucci

Italian explorer and navigator.Sailed for both Portugal and Spain on voyages to the Americas.

De Soto

Spanish conquistador and explorer.Participated in early conquests in Central and South America (Peru, with Pizarro

Pedro Alvares Cabral

Portuguese navigator and explorer. Sent by King Manuel I of Portugal on a voyage to India (following Vasco da Gama’s route).

Columbus

Italian navigator from Genoa, sailing under Spain (Ferdinand and Isabella).Motivated by finding a westward route to Asia for trade and spreading Christianity.

Cartier

French explorer sponsored by King Francis I. Tasked with finding a northwest passage to Asia and claiming land for France.

Reconquista

The reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) from Muslim rule by Christian kingdoms.Lasted from 718–1492, ending with the fall of Granada.