APWH Midterm Vocabulary

Bullion

Precious metals, especially gold and silver, often in bulk form, that played a key role in trade and mercantilist economies.

Cash Crops

Agricultural products grown for sale rather than for personal consumption (e.g., sugar, tobacco).

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, people, diseases, and ideas between the Old and New Worlds after 1492.

Commodities / Commodity

Goods or raw materials that are traded, such as spices, gold, or silk.

Crusades

Religious wars primarily initiated by European Christians to reclaim Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rule (11th-13th centuries).

Diffusion

The spread of cultural elements, technologies, and ideas from one society to another.

Empire

A large political unit ruled by a single authority, often controlling diverse territories and peoples.

Feudalism

A hierarchical system of land ownership and obligations in medieval Europe and Japan, where lords governed lands worked by peasants.

Filial Piety

A Confucian value emphasizing respect and duty toward one’s parents and ancestors.

Fluyt

A Dutch-designed ship that was cost-effective for transporting goods during the Age of Exploration.

Hierarchical

Organized in a system of ranks or levels, where higher levels have more power.

Maritime

Related to the sea and navigation, including trade, exploration, and naval power.

Metallurgy

The science of extracting and working with metals to create tools, weapons, and other goods.

Monotheism

The belief in a single, all-powerful deity (e.g., Christianity, Islam, Judaism).

Reconnaissance

Exploration or surveying, often to gather information about unknown territories.

Renaissance

A cultural and intellectual revival in Europe during the 14th-17th centuries, emphasizing humanism and classical learning.

Schism

A division within a religious community, such as the Great Schism between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

Staple Crops

Primary crops that form the basis of a population’s diet (e.g., wheat, rice, maize).

Surplus

Excess goods or resources beyond what is needed for survival, enabling trade and specialization.

Theocracy

A political system where religious leaders rule in the name of a deity or divine authority.