Age of Exploration Vocabulary

Cash Crops

• Crops grown primarily for personal consumption

• Crops grown in large amounts to be sold for profit

• Crops that are used for livestock feed

• Crops that are grown in small gardens for local markets

Mercantilism

• An economic policy where nations aim to increase wealth by accumulating gold and silver and exporting more than they import.

• A theory that suggests free trade leads to economic prosperity for all nations.

• A system where governments control all aspects of the economy to ensure equality.

• A practice where nations focus solely on agricultural production to boost their economy.

Conquistadors

• Spanish soldiers who conquered people in other lands

• Portuguese explorers who mapped the New World

• French traders who established colonies in North America

• Italian merchants who traded with Asia

Import

• To buy goods from another country

• To sell goods to another country

• To manufacture goods locally

• To transport goods within the same country

Manufactured Goods

• Products created from the conversion of raw materials into consumable or useful products (i.e. furniture, cloth...)

• Items that are sold directly from the farm or factory

• Natural resources that are used in their original form

• Services provided by skilled professionals

Raw Materials

• The basic material from which a product is made (i.e. lumber, sugar, cotton...)

• A finished product ready for sale

• A type of machinery used in production

• A method of marketing products

Export

• To sell goods to another country

• To buy goods from another country

• To transport goods within the same country

• To manufacture goods locally

Circumnavigate

• To go completely around the world

• To travel in a straight line

• To explore a new territory

• To travel only by sea

Colonization

• A process where one country takes over another area and establishes settlements while controlling the native people.

• A method of trade where countries exchange goods without any territorial claims.

• A cultural exchange between two nations that leads to mutual benefits.

• A military strategy used to conquer and occupy foreign lands.

Age of Exploration

• A period when Europeans sought new sources of wealth and easier trade routes to China and India.

• A time when Europeans focused on colonizing Africa exclusively.

• An era characterized by the invention of the steam engine and industrialization.

• A phase of European history marked by the rise of democracy and political reforms.