A mapmaker and explorer who said that America was a new continent, so America was named after him.

Also known as Mexica, they created a powerful empire in central Mexico (1325-1521 C.E.). They forced defeated peoples to provide goods and labor as a tax.

an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

Southern European style of building Ships that were made with Edge-to-edge planks of wood that was fine for the placid waters of the Mediterranean Sea

an ancient Mayan city located on the Yucatan Peninsula

Northern European style of building Ships that were made with overlapping planks of wood to give them strength against the harsh North and Baltic Seas

Brilliant red dye produced by small insects found on prickly pear cactus.

Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages.

A dramatic change in the economy of Europe at the end of the Middle Ages. It is characterized by an increase in towns and trade, the use of banks and credit, and the establishment of guilds to regulate quality and price.

A Spanish conqueror of the Americas

Descendants of the Europeans in Latin America, usually implies an upper class status.

It gave Spanish settlers the right to tax local Natives or to make them work. In exchange, these settlers were supposed to protect the Native American people and convert them to Christianity

Portuguese navigator who led the Spanish expedition of 1519-1522 that was the first to sail around the world. (though he didn't quite make it)

Units of product that have been completed but have not yet been sold to customers. Also called Manufactured Goods.

Spanish explorer who led the conquest of the Inca Empire of Peru in 1531-1533.

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico (1485-1547)

Peninsula in southwestern Europe occupied by Spain and Portugal

a member of a South American Indian people living in the central Andes before the Spanish conquest who built a notable civilization in western South America in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The center of their empire was in present-day Peru.

Capital of the Ottoman empire; located in the northwest of present-day Turkey; formerly Constantinople

an association of individuals in a business enterprise with transferable shares of stock, much like a corporation except that stockholders are liable for the debts of the business

System of knotted colored cords used by preliterate Andean peoples to transmit information. These knots are interesting because the Inca are notable for being a relatively sophisticated empire and civilization, but they had no written language

During the late 15th century, they united Spain after centuries of Islamic domination. Together, they made Spain a strong Christian nation and also provided funding to overseas exploration, notably Christopher Columbus.

8,000 ft above sea level between mountain peaks has a sun temple, public buildings, and a central places, possible religious center or an estate of wealthy nobility.

An instrument that uses a magnetized steel bar to indicate direction relative to the earth's magnetic pole.

Mesoamerican civilization concentrated in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and in Guatemala and Honduras but never unified into a single empire. Major contributions were in mathematics, astronomy, and development of the calendar.

An economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver from Colonies, forcing them to sell only to their mother country, and by selling more goods than they bought

The term used by Spanish authorities to describe someone of mixed native American and European descent.

The Middle of Triangle Trade. A voyage that brought enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to North America and the West Indies

A major power that ruled China from the mid-fourteenth to the mid-seventeenth century. It was marked by a great expansion of Chinese commerce into East Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia

A trade route that stretched across the Indian Ocean and many countries in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Colony in the modern-day northeastern United States comprising Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut

Colonial possessions in Mesoamerica; included most of central Mexico and central America.

Unprocessed natural products used in production (cotton, rubber, palm oil, sugar, wheat, guano, metals, and minerals)

a type of sail on Seaworthy ships on which some of the principal sails are quadrilateral in shape and hang across the deck, rather than running with the keel, like a Lateen Sail. In major use by the sixteenth century, they were essential for maneuverability and speed.

Capital of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco. Its population was about 150,000 on the eve of Spanish conquest. Mexico City was constructed on its ruins.

the Landmasses of much of the Western Hemisphere, also known as the New World

Islamic state founded by Osman in northwestern Anatolia. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, it was based at Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) from 1453-1922. It encompassed lands in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, and eastern Europe.

A way or course used by traders either overland or a sea lane used by merchant ships.

prevailing winds that blow from east to west from 30 degrees latitude to the equator in both hemispheres headed towards the equator

The brutal system of forced migration of African People from Africa to the Americas. It changed the economy, politics, and environment. It affected Africa, Europe, and America. It implies that slaves were used for cash crops and created a whole new economy.

A three way system of trade during 1600-1800s Africa sent slaves to America, America sent Raw Materials to Europe, and Europe sent Guns and Rum to Africa

An Italian city that by 1000 C.E. emerged as a major center of Mediterranean trade.

Chinese admiral during the Ming Dynasty, he led great voyages that spread China's fame throughout Asia