Innovation and Exploration, 1453-1600 (Age of Exploration)

24 vocabulary flashcards covering key people, technologies, events, motives, and consequences of the Age of Exploration.

Italian City-States

Venice and Genoa dominated pre-1453 Mediterranean trade and accumulated great wealth.

Ottoman Trade Control

Seizure of eastern routes by the Ottomans forced Europeans to seek new sea passages.

Caravel

Small, fast, ocean-worthy ship of the 1400s equipped with both square and triangular lateen sails.

Lateen Sail

Triangular sail that allowed ships to tack against the wind, increasing maneuverability.

Ship-Mounted Bronze Cannon

Artillery innovation that revolutionized naval warfare and armed exploration vessels.

Compass

Magnetic navigation tool that enabled open-sea voyaging beyond sight of land.

Astrolabe

Instrument used to determine latitude by measuring the altitude of celestial bodies.

Portolan Chart

Highly detailed nautical map showing coastlines, ports, and compass roses for sailors.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese prince who founded a navigation school at Sagres in 1415 and promoted systematic exploration.

Sagres Navigation School

Center for cartography, ship design, and seamanship established by Prince Henry.

Canary Islands Conquest

1420s Portuguese subjugation and enslavement of the native Guanche people.

African Trading Posts

15th-century Portuguese forts along West Africa that expanded gold and slave trade.

Christopher Columbus (1492)

Explorer whose westward voyage reached the Americas, initiating Spanish claims.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

Papal-sanctioned agreement dividing newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal.

Economic Gain

Primary exploration motive: pursuit of gold, silver, spices, and profitable trade monopolies.

Religious Zeal

Desire to convert non-Christians and counter Islamic influence, motivating many voyages.

Glory and Prestige

Personal fame for explorers and enhanced status for sponsoring nations through discoveries.

Indigenous Exploitation

Enslavement, disease spread, and cultural destruction faced by native populations after contact.

European Empire Building

Spain and Portugal’s creation of the first global colonial empires to extract resources.

Gunpowder Weapons

Firearms and cannon that gave small European forces decisive military superiority overseas.

Global Connectivity

Permanent linking of continents; isolation ended after the Age of Exploration.

Population Decline (90%)

Approximate fall in Indigenous American numbers within a century of European contact.

16,000 Tons of Gold

Estimated amount shipped from the Americas to Spain by 1600, fueling its economy.

Price Inflation (300%)

Sharp rise in European prices caused by the influx of American precious metals.