Key Concepts in Early Modern Exploration, Colonization, and Trade

Caravel

A small, fast Portuguese ship used in the Atlantic trade routes during the Age of Exploration.

African Diaspora

The forced migration of millions of Africans through the transatlantic slave trade, spreading African cultures across the Americas.

Columbian Exchange

The global exchange of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds after 1492.

Creoles

People of European descent born in the Americas, often with limited political power under colonial rule.

Deccan Wars (1680-1707)

A series of conflicts in India between the Mughal Empire and southern sultanates, contributing to Mughal decline.

Encomienda

A Spanish labor system where colonists received the right to demand tribute and labor from Indigenous people.

Fur Trade

The exchange of animal pelts (especially beaver) between Indigenous groups and Europeans, especially in North America and Siberia.

Hacienda

Large estates in Spanish America producing agricultural goods, often using Indigenous or enslaved labor.

Henry the Navigator

Portuguese prince who promoted exploration along the West African coast and the development of navigation technology.

Joint Stock Company

A business structure where investors pool funds and share profits/losses, used to fund overseas colonies.

Malaria

A mosquito-borne disease that greatly affected tropical colonies and shaped settlement patterns.

Maroon Societies

Communities formed by escaped slaves in the Americas, often in remote or mountainous areas.

Measles

A contagious European disease that devastated Indigenous populations in the Americas after contact.

Mercantilism

An economic theory where nations seek to accumulate wealth through controlled trade and colonial resources.

Mestizos

People of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in colonial Latin America.

Mita

A labor system adapted from the Inca, requiring Indigenous people to work on state or colonial projects like silver mines.

Mulattos

People of mixed African and European ancestry, often forming a distinct social class in colonial societies.

Pacific Ocean Exchange

Trade routes linking Asia and the Americas, especially through the Manila Galleons transporting silver and goods.

Peninsulares

Spanish-born individuals living in the Americas, holding the highest colonial administrative and social positions.

Plantation Economy

An economic system based on large-scale agriculture (sugar, tobacco, cotton) using enslaved or coerced labor.

Portuguese Trading Post Empire

A maritime empire built by Portugal through fortified trading posts along the coasts of Africa, India, and Asia.

Pueblo Revolt (1680)

A successful uprising by Pueblo peoples against Spanish colonizers in present-day New Mexico.

Settler Colonies

Colonies where Europeans permanently settled, such as in North America, with displacement of Indigenous populations.

Signares

African women in West Africa who gained wealth and status through marriages with European traders and involvement in commerce.

Silver Drain

The flow of New World silver to Asia (especially China), used to purchase luxury goods and affecting global trade.

Smallpox

A deadly European disease that caused massive mortality among Indigenous populations in the Americas.

Soft Gold

Nickname for fur due to its high value in global trade, especially in cold climates.

The Great Dying

The catastrophic decline of Indigenous populations in the Americas due to disease and conquest following European arrival.

The Little Ice Age

A period of global cooling (1300-1800s) that impacted agriculture and contributed to social unrest.

Transatlantic Slave System

The forced transportation of Africans to the Americas as part of a triangular trade system involving Europe and Africa.