Exploration & Conquest
What were the three main motivations for European explorers, commonly known as the "Three Gs"?
Gold, God, Glory
Name one of the three major Native American civilizations affected by European conquest.
Incas, Aztecs, Mayans
What was the name of the trade system that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas?
Triangular Trade
What explorer "discovered" the Americas?
Christopher Columbus
What was the Columbian Exchange?
The transfer of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds.
What technological advancements helped European exploration during the Age of Exploration?
Caravel, Compass, Astrolabe, Lateen Sail, etc.
What was the capital of the Aztec Empire?
Tenochtitlán
What was the Middle Passage?
The brutal voyage that brought enslaved Africans to the Americas
What type of people were the 2 highest in the Spanish society?
Nobility and Clergy
Name one crop that was introduced to Europe from the Americas.
Potatoes, tomatoes, corn, chocolate, tobacco, etc
Which Spanish conquistador is known for conquering the Aztecs?
Hernán Cortés
What famous city in the Inca Empire was built high in the Andes Mountains?
Machu Picchu
What was the primary economic goal of European colonies in the Americas?
To extract wealth and resources for their home countries.
What European priest criticized the treatment of Native Americans and pushed for reforms?
Bartolomé de las Casas
What European disease had the most devastating impact on Native American populations?
Smallpox
What role did secular monarchs play in the European voyages of exploration?
They funded and supported voyages for wealth and power.
What African civilizations were prominent before European exploration?
Aksum, Ile Ife, Timbuktu
How did the Columbian Exchange impact the economies of Europe and the Americas?
New crops and resources led to economic growth and population increases in Europe, while diseases devastated Native American populations.
How was colonial society organized?
By race -- Spaniards, Mestizos, Indigenous Peoples, enslaved Africans
Name one domesticated animal introduced to the Americas by Europeans.
Horses, pigs, cattle, sheep, etc.
How did Europeans justify their conquest and colonization of the Americas?
Religious justification, belief in European superiority, and economic gain.
What factors helped the Spanish conquer the Native American civilizations?
Superior weaponry, European diseases, alliances with rival tribes, and horses.
How did triangular trade shape the Atlantic World’s economy?
It established a system of dependency between Europe, Africa, and the Americas based on goods, enslaved labor, and resources.
What was the Encomienda system?
The king granted plots to a colonist, then the encomendero was supposed to protect the workers and force them into Christianity.
Essentially, a form of servitude.
How did the Columbian Exchange contribute to European colonization?
New resources and crops increased wealth and population growth, fueling further exploration and expansion.