Glossary
Accumulating Gold & Silver
A core mercantilist goal focused on increasing a nation's reserves of precious metals, which were seen as the ultimate measure of wealth and national power.
Example:
Spain's primary economic objective in the Americas was Accumulating Gold & Silver from mines like Potosí, which then flowed back to Europe.
Adventure (Motive for Exploration)
The personal thrill of discovery, the challenge of the unknown, and the pursuit of fame and glory that motivated many individual explorers.
Example:
Despite the immense dangers, the sheer excitement of charting uncharted waters fueled the Adventure spirit of many sailors.
Christopher Columbus
An Italian explorer, sponsored by Spain, whose voyages across the Atlantic in 1492 initiated the widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas.
Example:
Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Caribbean marked the beginning of the Columbian Exchange and profound changes for both hemispheres.
Establishing Colonies
A mercantilist strategy involving the acquisition and control of overseas territories to secure raw materials, create captive markets, and enhance national wealth.
Example:
European powers competed fiercely in Establishing Colonies in the Americas and Asia to gain access to valuable resources like sugar, furs, and spices.
Ferdinand Magellan
A Portuguese explorer who organized the Spanish expedition that completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth, though he died during the voyage.
Example:
Ferdinand Magellan's expedition proved that the world was indeed round and that a western route to Asia was possible, albeit long and perilous.
Global Empires
Vast political entities established by European powers through overseas colonization, extending their control and influence across multiple continents.
Example:
By the 18th century, the British Empire had become a truly Global Empire, with territories spanning from North America to India.
Impact of Exploration on Global Trade and Power Dynamics
The profound changes brought about by maritime exploration, including the creation of new global trade networks, the rise of European maritime empires, and shifts in international political power.
Example:
The Impact of Exploration on Global Trade and Power Dynamics meant that traditional Silk Road routes declined in importance as new oceanic routes dominated, shifting economic centers to Atlantic European states.
Impact of Exploration on Indigenous Populations
The devastating consequences of European exploration and colonization on native peoples, including disease, forced labor, displacement, and cultural destruction.
Example:
The Impact of Exploration on Indigenous Populations was catastrophic, as diseases like smallpox, to which native peoples had no immunity, decimated their numbers.
Knowledge (Motive for Exploration)
The intellectual curiosity and scientific desire to map the world, discover new lands, and understand different cultures and environments.
Example:
Explorers like James Cook were motivated by a thirst for Knowledge, meticulously charting unknown coastlines and documenting new species.
Mercantilism
An economic theory and practice dominant from the 16th to the 18th centuries, advocating that a nation's wealth and power were best served by increasing exports and accumulating precious metals, often through government regulation of trade.
Example:
To practice Mercantilism, a European power might forbid its colonies from trading with other nations, ensuring all raw materials and markets benefited the mother country.
Power (Motive for Exploration)
The ambition of European states to expand their influence, territory, and prestige on the global stage through colonization and control of new lands and trade routes.
Example:
The intense rivalry between England and France for colonial possessions in North America demonstrated their pursuit of global Power.
Regulating Trade
A mercantilist practice where the state imposes strict rules, monopolies, and tariffs to control the flow of goods and ensure economic benefits accrue to the mother country.
Example:
The British Navigation Acts were a clear example of Regulating Trade, dictating that colonial goods could only be shipped on British vessels.
Religion (Motive for Exploration)
The evangelical impulse to spread Christianity to new populations and counter the influence of other faiths, particularly Islam.
Example:
Spanish missionaries often accompanied explorers, driven by the desire to spread Catholicism and convert indigenous peoples, fulfilling the Religion motive.
Restricting Imports
A mercantilist policy involving the imposition of tariffs or quotas on foreign goods to protect domestic industries and maintain a favorable balance of trade.
Example:
To protect its textile industry, England might implement Restricting Imports on finished cloth from other European nations.
Role of Technology in Exploration
The crucial part played by advancements in shipbuilding, navigation, and cartography that enabled Europeans to undertake long-distance maritime voyages.
Example:
The development of the caravel, astrolabe, and magnetic compass significantly enhanced the Role of Technology in Exploration, making longer and safer voyages possible.
State Formation & Expansion
The process by which European states consolidated their power internally and sought to extend their influence and control over new territories globally during the Age of Exploration.
Example:
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Spanish monarchy exemplified State Formation & Expansion by unifying regional kingdoms and then funding voyages to claim vast lands in the Americas.
State-sponsored Exploration
Exploration voyages and expeditions that were funded, organized, and supported by national governments, rather than private individuals or companies.
Example:
The Portuguese crown's consistent investment in navigation schools and expeditions down the African coast was a prime example of State-sponsored Exploration.
Subsidizing Exports
A mercantilist policy where the government provides financial support or incentives to domestic industries to help them sell more goods abroad.
Example:
A government might offer grants to shipbuilders to make their vessels cheaper for foreign buyers, thereby Subsidizing Exports.
Trading-post Empire
An empire built by controlling trade routes and strategic coastal locations, rather than through extensive territorial conquest and settlement.
Example:
Portugal established a Trading-post Empire by setting up fortified outposts along the African and Asian coasts, allowing them to dominate the spice trade without conquering large inland territories.
Transoceanic Travel and Trade
The movement of people, goods, and ideas across oceans, leading to the establishment of new global trade networks and connections between previously isolated regions.
Example:
Columbus's voyages initiated a new era of Transoceanic Travel and Trade, permanently linking the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
Vasco da Gama
A Portuguese explorer who was the first European to reach India by sea, opening a direct maritime trade route between Europe and Asia.
Example:
Vasco da Gama's successful voyage around the Cape of Good Hope fundamentally altered global trade patterns, bypassing traditional land routes.
Wealth (Motive for Exploration)
The desire for riches, particularly gold, silver, and valuable spices, which was a primary driver for European maritime exploration.
Example:
Many Spanish conquistadors were driven by the promise of immense Wealth, hoping to find new sources of precious metals in the Americas.