Chapter 2 Key Terms Flashcards
Black Legend
Spain’s reputation as bloodthirsty conquistadors
Calvinism
a branch of Protestantism started by John Calvin, emphasizing human powerlessness before
an omniscient God and stressing the idea of predestination
Columbian Exchange
the movement of plants, animals, and diseases across the Atlantic due to
European exploration of the Americas
commodification
the transformation of something—for example, an item of ritual significance—into a
commodity with monetary value
encomienda
legal rights to native labor as granted by the Spanish crown
Hispaniola
the island in the Caribbean, present-day Haiti and Dominican Republic, where Columbus
first landed and established a Spanish colony
indulgences
documents for purchase that absolved sinners of their errant behavior
joint stock company
a business entity in which investors provide the capital and assume the risk in
order to reap significant returns
mercantilism
the protectionist economic principle that nations should control trade with their colonies to
ensure a favorable balance of trade
mourning wars
raids or wars that tribes waged in eastern North America in order to replace members
lost to smallpox and other diseases
Pilgrims
Separatists, led by William Bradford, who established the first English settlement in New
England
privateers
sea captains to whom the British government had given permission to raid Spanish ships at
will
probanza de mérito
proof of merit: a letter written by a Spanish explorer to the crown to gain royal
patronage
Protestant Reformation
the schism in Catholicism that began with Martin Luther and John Calvin in the
early sixteenth century
Puritans
a group of religious reformers in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries who wanted to
“purify” the Church of England by ridding it of practices associated with the Catholic Church and
advocating greater purity of doctrine and worship
