American History 1 Vocab Chapter 1 (American Pageant)

American History 1 Vocab Chapter 1 (American Pageant)

Marco Polo - Italian explorer who spent many years in China or near it. His return to Europe in 1295 sparked a European interest in finding a quicker route to Asia.

Francisco Pizarro - New World conqueror or Spanish conquistador who crushed the Incan civilization in Peru, took their gold and silver, and enslaved the Incas in 1532.

Ponce de León - Spanish explorer who sailed to the New World in 1513 and in 1521. He explored Florida, thinking it was an island, while looking for gold and the perhaps the fabled "fountain of youth." He failed in his search for the fountain of youth but established Florida as territory for the Spanish, before being killed by a Native American arrow.

Hernando de Soto – A Spanish conquistador. He explored in 1540's from Florida west to the Mississippi with six hundred men in search of gold. He discovered the Mississippi River, before being killed by Indians and buried in the river.

Christopher Columbus - An Italian navigator who was funded by the Spanish government to find a passage to the Far East. He is given credit for discovering the "New World," even though at his death he believed he had made it to India. He made four voyages to the "New World." The first sighting of land was on October 12, 1492, and three other journeys until the time of his death in 1503.

Renaissance - After the Middle Ages there was a rebirth of culture in Europe where art and science were developed. It was during this time of enrichment that America was discovered.

Aztecs - The Aztecs were a powerful Native American empire who lived in Mexico. Their capital was Tenochtitlan. They worshipped everything around them, especially the sun. Cortes conquered them in 1521.

Joint stock companies - These were developed to gather the savings from the middle class to support finance colonies. Examples were the London Company and Plymouth Company. They’re the forerunner of modern day corporations.

Ferdinand Magellan - In 1519, his crew began a voyage and eventually ended up becoming the first to circumnavigate the world, even though he died in the Philippines. The sole surviving ship returned to Europe in 1522.

Hernando de Soto - From 1539 to 1542, he explored Florida and crossed the Mississippi River. He brutally abused Indians and died of fever and battle wounds.

Encomienda system -- Plantation systems where Indians were essentially enslaved under the disguise of being converted to Christianity.

Bartolomé de Las Casas - A Spanish missionary who was appalled by the method of encomienda systems, calling it “a moral pestilence invented by Satan.”

Hernándo Cortés - Annihilator of the Aztecs in 1519.