Blue Book Exam
Quipu
knotted cords of various lengths and colors used by the Inca to keep financial records
Jesuits
members of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Ignatius of Loyola
indigenous people
native people
sextant
navigation tool that determines latitude and longitude
Manoralism
paying money to the lord in exchange for protection and the use of his land to live on and farm.
origami
the art of folding paper
commerce
the buying and selling of goods and services
Heliocentric Theory
the idea that the earth and the other planets revolve around the sun.
Census
the official count of a population
Desertification
the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.
Cartography
the science of making maps and globes
barter system
a system of exchange in which goods or services are traded directly for other goods or services without the use of money.
Beauracracy
a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives.
porcelain
a thin, beautiful pottery invented in China
quadrant tool
a tool invented by the Arabs that sailors used to determine their location
Serf
an agricultural laborer bound under the feudal system to work on his lord's estate.
Vernacular
Everyday language of ordinary people
annul
(v.) to reduce to nothing; to make ineffective or inoperative; to declare legally invalid or void
Scientific Method
A logical, systematic approach to the solution of a scientific problem
Daimyo
A Japanese feudal lord who commanded a private army of samurai
Humanism
A Renaissance intellectual movement in which thinkers studied classical texts and focused on human potential and achievements
Conquistador
A Spanish conqueror of the Americas
Griot
A West African storyteller
Rationalism
A belief or theory that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional response
Popular Sovereignty
A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.
Kente Cloth
A brightly colored, woven cloth made by the Ashanti and Ewe peoples.
Grand Canal
A canal linking northern and southern China
Ellipse
A elongated circle, or oval shape, the shape of the planets orbit.
Kofun
A giant circular, square, or keyhole shaped burial mound
Vassal
A knight who promised to support a lord in exchange for land
bazaar
A market selling different kinds of goods
Council of Trent
A meeting of Roman Catholic leaders, called by Pope Paul III to rule on doctrines criticized by the Protestant reformers.
Indulgence
A pardon given by the Roman Catholic Church in return for repentance for sins
Isolationism
A policy of nonparticipation in international economic and political relations
Feudalism
A political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land
Caravel
A small, highly maneuverable three-masted ship used by the Portuguese and Spanish in the exploration of the Atlantic.
plague
A widespread disease
Trans-Saharan
Across the Sahara
Mercantilism
An economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought
Fief
An estate granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for service and loyalty
barometer
An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure
Barbarians/Germanic Tribes
Anyone who lived along the frontiers of the Roman Empire. They were not citizens and fought against Rome's expansion into their lands.
95 Theses
Arguments written by Martin Luther against the Catholic church.
Excommunication
Banishment from the church
Predestination
Calvin's religious theory that God has already planned out a person's life.
Counter Reformation
Catholic Church's attempt to stop the protestant movement and to strengthen the Catholic Church
Clergy
Church officials
Secular
Concerned with worldly rather than spiritual matters
Shogun
In feudal Japan, a noble similar to a duke. They were the military commanders and the actual rulers of Japan for many centuries while the Emperor was a powerless spiritual figure.
Newton's three laws of motion
Inertia, acceleration, action -reaction
Caliphate
Islamic empire ruled by those believed to be the successors to the Prophet Muhammad.
Encomienda System
It gave settlers the right to tax local Native Americans or to make them work. In exchange, these settlers were supposed to protect the Native American people and convert them to Christianity
Noh
Japanese drama that appealed to the nobles and samurai
Dynasty
a powerful family or group of rulers that maintains its position or power for some time
Genaology
a record or history of the ancestors or descendants of a person, a people, or a nation
Hajj
Pilgrimage to Mecca
Anti-Semitism
Prejudice against Jews
Roman Twelve Tables
Roman foundation for early codified law
monarch
a ruler of a kingdom or empire
Cultural Blending
Something new created from combining the elements of two or more cultures
Caliph
Successor to Muhammad
Animism
The belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, and other natural objects have spirits
Papacy
The central administration of the Roman Catholic Church, of which the pope is the head.
Maritime Trade
The exchange of goods using sea routes
Spanish Armada
The great fleet sent from Spain against England by Philip II in 1588; defeated by the terrible winds and fire ships.
Quran
The holy book of Islam
cultural diffusion
The spread of ideas, customs, and technologies from one people to another
Minerats
Tower where a crier calls people to prayer
Sunnis and Shiites
Two major sects of Islam
Terrace Farming
a farming system that is in the form of steps going up a mountain
Viceroy
a governor who ruled as a representative of a monarch
patron
a person who provides financial support for the arts
Landlocked
completely surrounded by land with no direct access to the ocean
Geocentric Theory
earth-centered view of the universe
Chinampas
floating farming islands made by the Aztec
caravan
group of traveling merchants and animals
Astrolabe
instrument used to determine latitude by measuring the position of the stars
cultural diversity
the state of having a variety of cultures in the same area
Theology
the study of religion
Chiaroscuro
the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting
dissecting
to cut apart
Circumnavigate
to sail around the world