chapter 14

The name for the 4 administrative units of Spanish possessions in the Americas: New Spain, Peru, New Granada, and La Plata

viceroyalties

Who was Prester John?

A mythical Christian king in Africa believed to be a descendant of one of the three kings who visited Jesus after his birth.

After losing access to slave trading from the Black Sea, the Genoese obtained which of the following as slaves?

Black Africans

The exchange of animals, plants, and diseases between the Old and New worlds

Columbian Exchange

The European voyages of the 15th century were derived from a desire to share in the wealth of the

Indian Ocean trade

Also known as the Aztec Empire, a large and complex Native American Civilization in modern Mexico and Central America that possessed advanced mathematical, astronomical, and engineering technology

Mexica Empire

The 1494 agreement giving Spain everything to the west of an imaginary line drawn down the Atlantic and giving Portugal everything to the east

Treaty of Tordesillas

A system whereby the Spanish crown granted the conquerors the right to forcibly employ groups of Indians; it was disguised form of slavery

Encomienda system

When Vasco da Gama arrived in the Indian Ocean, how did he navigate these unknown waters?

He hired an Indian pilot as his guide

The vast and sophisticated Peruvian empire centered at the capital city of Cuzco that was at its peak from 1438 until 1532

Inca Empire

What did the Treaty of Tordesillas do?

It divided the Atlantic Ocean, giving Spain control of everything west of an imaginary line and Portugal everything east of the line

Portugal's participation in European expansion was given critical support by who?

Prince Henry

How did the introduction of Ptolemy's Geography mislead European cartographers

Ptolemy asserted that the world was much smaller than it actually is, indication that Asia was not far removed from Europe to the west.

A 2nd century work that synthesized the classical knowledge of geography and introduced the concepts of longitude and latitude. Reintroduced to Europeans in 1410 by Arab scholars, its ideas allowed cartographers to create more accurate maps.

Ptolemy's Geography

In chronological order, what were the 3 successive commercial empires established by Europeans in 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries

The Portugese, the Spanish, and the Dutch

What was the primary cause of the emergence of inflation in Spain in the 16th century?

The inability of Spanish agriculture and manufacturing to meet the growing demand for goods

How did the English and French seek a route to East Asia?

They sough a northwest passage across North America

A small, maneuverable, three-mast sailing ship developed by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century that gave the Portuguese a distinct advantage in exploration and trade.

caravel

Spanish for conqueror; Spanish soldier-explorers, such as Hernando Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, who sought to conquer the New World for the Spanish crown.

conquistador

Bartolomé de Las Cases asserted that the Indians

had human rights