AP world Unit 4 vocab

1. Columbian Exchange

• Definition: The transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and ideas between the Americas, Europe, and Africa after Columbus’s voyages.

2. Triangular Trade

• Definition: A three-part trade system where Europe sent goods to Africa, Africa sent slaves to the Americas, and the Americas sent raw materials to Europe.

3. Mercantilism

• Definition: The idea that a country should make money by trading more than it imports and controlling colonies.

4. Encomienda

• Definition: A system where Spanish settlers were given land and could force Indigenous people to work for them.

5. Middle Passage

• Definition: The part of the Triangular Trade where enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.

6. Maritime Empires

• Definition: Empires built by European countries using ships to explore and control trade across the oceans.

7. Treaty of Tordesillas

• Definition: An agreement between Spain and Portugal in 1494 to divide the newly discovered lands outside Europe between them.

8. Casta System

• Definition: A social class system in Spanish colonies based on race and birthplace (e.g., Peninsulares, Creoles, Mestizos).

9. Commercial Revolution

• Definition: The growth of trade and business in Europe during the 16th to 18th centuries, leading to capitalism.

10. Global Trade Networks

• Definition: Worldwide trade routes that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas, allowing for the exchange of goods, resources, and culture.