Glossary
Age of Discovery
A period from the 15th to 18th centuries when European powers embarked on extensive overseas exploration, leading to the mapping of the world and the establishment of global trade routes.
Example:
Vasco da Gama's voyage around Africa to India was a pivotal moment in the Age of Discovery, opening a direct sea route to Asian markets.
Capitalism
An economic system characterized by private ownership of the means of production, where goods and services are produced for profit in a market economy.
Example:
The rise of joint-stock companies, like the British East India Company, marked an early form of capitalism, allowing investors to pool resources for large-scale ventures and share in profits or losses.
Columbian Exchange
The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas (the New World) and the Old World (Europe, Africa, and Asia) in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Example:
The introduction of potatoes from the Americas via the Columbian Exchange significantly boosted European populations due to the crop's high caloric yield.
Humanism
An intellectual movement during the Renaissance that emphasized human potential, achievements, and values, often drawing inspiration from classical texts.
Example:
Petrarch, often called the 'Father of Humanism', dedicated his life to rediscovering and studying ancient Roman manuscripts, believing they held the key to human flourishing.
Individualism
A social and ethical philosophy that emphasizes the moral worth of the individual, celebrating personal accomplishments and unique talents.
Example:
The self-portraits of artists like Albrecht Dürer exemplify the growing individualism of the Renaissance, where artists began to assert their unique identity and skill.
Mercantilism
An economic theory and practice dominant in Europe from the 16th to the 18th century that promoted governmental regulation of a nation's economy for the purpose of augmenting state power at the expense of rival national powers.
Example:
Under mercantilism, a country like England would impose tariffs on imported goods and encourage its colonies to produce raw materials exclusively for the mother country, ensuring a favorable balance of trade.
Renaissance
A period in European history marking a 'rebirth' of classical Greek and Roman art, literature, and philosophy, leading to significant cultural, artistic, political, and economic changes.
Example:
The artistic innovations of the Renaissance, such as perspective in painting, dramatically shifted from the flat, symbolic art of the Middle Ages.
Secularism
A principle that advocates for the separation of governmental and institutional affairs from religious institutions and beliefs, or a general move away from solely religious focus.
Example:
Machiavelli's political treatise The Prince is a prime example of secularism in Renaissance thought, analyzing power dynamics based on practical realities rather than divine right.
Transatlantic Slave Trade
The forced migration of millions of Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th centuries, primarily to provide labor for plantations and mines.
Example:
The horrors of the Middle Passage, the sea journey endured by enslaved Africans, are a grim testament to the brutality of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Triangular Trade
A transatlantic trade network that operated from the late 16th to early 19th centuries, primarily involving the exchange of goods from Europe for enslaved Africans, who were then transported to the Americas to produce raw materials for Europe.
Example:
Sugar plantations in the Caribbean were a crucial part of the Triangular Trade, relying on enslaved labor to produce goods shipped back to Europe for profit.