Chp 1

Tenochtitlan – Ancient capital of the Aztec Empire.

Papal decree that divided exploration and conquest between Spain and Portugal – Treaty of Tordesillas (1493 boundary between Spanish and Portuguese possessions).

Reconquista – Christian effort to drive Muslims out of Spain (1100s–1492).

Spanish Armada – Its defeat in 1588 marked the rise of British naval dominance.

Cahokia – A major commercial and political hub of the Mississippian civilization.

Encomienda – Legal rights to native labor granted to Spanish conquistadors.

Bartolomé de Las Casas – Dominican priest who criticized Spanish mistreatment of Indigenous people, leading to the end of the encomienda system.

Black Legend – The idea that Spaniards were bloodthirsty conquerors with no regard for human life.

Columbian Exchange – Uneven transfer of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds after 1492.

Chinampas – Floating gardens irrigated by lake water, still in use in Xochimilco, Mexico City.

Chasquis – Incan relay runners who carried messages across long distances.

Beringia – A land bridge that allowed migration between Asia and North America 9,000–15,000 years ago.

Quipu – A system of knotted strings used by the Incas to record information.

Mita – Incan labor tax requiring peasants to work on public projects.

Commodification – Turning something with cultural or ritual significance into a commercial product.

Joint-Stock Companies – Businesses where multiple investors share profits and losses.

Mercantilism – Economic theory that wealth is limited and nations should maximize gold and silver reserves through strict trade control.

Hispaniola – The first Spanish colony in the Americas, now Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Defeat of the Spanish Armada – A major naval loss for Spain in 1588, allowing England to rise as a maritime power.

Puritans – Religious reformers who sought to "purify" the Church of England from Catholic influences.

Pilgrims – Separatists (English Calvinists) who wanted to break away from the Church of England and settled in Plymouth.

Privateers – Privately owned ships authorized to attack enemy vessels during wartime.