Enlightenment and Colonial Imperialism Vocabulary (WHIST)

Mercantilism

• An economic system where colonies provide raw materials and markets for the mother country's benefit.

• A trade policy that encourages free trade between nations.

• A system where the government controls all economic activity.

• An economic theory that promotes the idea of self-sufficiency.

Enlightenment

• An 18th-century intellectual movement emphasizing reason, liberty, and scientific thought over tradition.

• A 19th-century artistic movement focused on emotion and individualism.

• A philosophical doctrine advocating for absolute monarchy and divine right.

• A scientific revolution in the 17th century that rejected empirical evidence.

Reason

• The use of emotions to make decisions or form beliefs.

• The use of logic and evidence to make decisions or form beliefs.

• The reliance on intuition and gut feelings to make decisions.

• The acceptance of beliefs based on tradition and authority.

Middle Passage

• The brutal sea journey of enslaved Africans to the Americas.

• A trade route for spices and silk between Europe and Asia.

• A journey taken by European settlers to the New World.

• The migration of indigenous peoples across North America.

Columbian Exchange

• The exchange of cultural practices between the Americas and Europe.

• The global transfer of goods, crops, diseases, and cultures between the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia after 1492.

• The trade of spices and silk between Asia and Europe.

• The migration of people from Europe to the Americas in the 18th century.

Encomienda

• A system of land grants to Spanish nobles.

• A Spanish system granting colonists control over indigenous labor and land.

• A treaty between Spain and indigenous tribes.

• A form of taxation imposed on colonists.

Natural Rights

• Fundamental rights believed to be inherent to all humans, as proposed by thinkers like John Locke.

• Rights granted by the government to its citizens.

• Rights that can be taken away under certain circumstances.

• Rights that only apply to certain groups of people.

Toleration

• Acceptance of diverse beliefs, especially religious ones, as promoted by Voltaire.

• A strict adherence to a single belief system without exception.

• The act of punishing those who hold different beliefs.

• A philosophical stance that rejects all forms of belief.

Social Contract

• An agreement between people and their government, where citizens give up some freedoms for protection and order (e.g., Rousseau, Hobbes).

• A theory that suggests individuals should act in their own self-interest without any government intervention.

• A legal document that outlines the rights of citizens and the responsibilities of the government.

• A philosophical idea that promotes absolute freedom without any societal constraints.

Liberty

• Freedom from oppressive restrictions, a core Enlightenment value.

• The state of being subject to the authority of another.

• A political system where the government has total control.

• The right to own property without any limitations.