The Age Of Exploration Flashcards
What were the main reasons for European exploration?
• Crusades
• Glory
• God
• Gold
What new technologies improved European exploration?
Caravel
• Cartography
• Astrolabe
Who was Bartolomeu Dias, and what did he accomplish?
Portuguese explorer who reached the southern tip of Africa.
Who was Vasco da Gama, and what was his achievement?
Portuguese explorer who sailed around Africa and reached India, acquiring spices and making huge profits.
Who was Ferdinand Magellan, and why is he significant?
Led the first expedition to circumnavigate the world.
Who was Hernán Cortés, and what did he do?
Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztecs in Mexico through disease, alliances, and superior weapons.
Who was Francisco Pizarro, and what did he do?
Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in South America, aided by smallpox and internal conflict.
What was the Treaty of Tordesillas and what did it do?
It divided newly discovered lands between Spain (west) and Portugal (east, including Brazil).
Why were the Spanish able to defeat the Aztec and Inca?
Superior weapons (guns, steel, horses)
• Alliances with local enemies
• Diseases like smallpox that devastated indigenous populati
How did Portugal control the spice trade?
• By establishing ports in Goa (India) and taking over the Spice Islands (Indonesia) through sea routes around Africa.
What was the Commercial Revolution?
A period of economic expansion in trade, banking, and capitalism, leading to European dominance in global markets.
Define mercantilism.
An economic policy where nations sought to increase their wealth by exporting more than they imported and accumulating gold and silver.
What were some financial innovations of the Commercial Revolution?
Banking companies
• Joint-stock companies
• Increased trade
How did England challenge Spain’s dominance in the Americas?
Seized New Netherland and renamed it New York
• Controlled the eastern seaboard
• Established sugar plantations in the Caribbean
How did France challenge Spain’s dominance in the Americas?
Colonized New France (Canada) and Louisiana
• Founded Quebec as the first permanent French settlement in the Americ
What were the three main European rivals in North America?
The Netherlands, England, and France.
What was one major difference between Spanish and British colonies?
Spanish colonies focused on extracting wealth (gold, silver), while British colonies focused on agriculture and trade.
What were the ‘Three Sisters’ crops used by Native Americans?
Beans, corn, and squash
What was the significance of the West India Company?
A Dutch trading company that established settlements in North America (New Netherland), but later lost control to the English (New York).
