APUSH 1.4 vocab

Question 1

smallpox & measles

Answer 1

• Diseases the Europeans brought with them to the New World.
• Since the Native Americans had no immunity to the germs and the diseases, it resulted in a rapid population decline in the 1st century after contact. In Mexico, the native population declined from around 22 million in 1492 to around 4 million by the mid-16th century.

Question 2

capitalism

Answer 2

• this replaced the medieval system of feudalism
• This made commerce more important as trade increased, and political power shifted from large landowners to wealthy merchants.

Question 3

joint-stock company

Answer 3

• This was a new type of enterprise that was created to finance trade voyages more safely. This was a business owned by a large number of investors. If the voyage failed, investors lost only what they had invested.
• As this reduced individual financial risk, it encouraged investment, thereby promoting economic growth.