Unit 1: The Rise of Centralized Power and Global Interaction

New Monarchies

Rulers of England, France, and Spain in the late 15th and early 16th centuries who centralized power at the expense of nobility and clergy.

Monopoly on Tax Collection

Establishing consistent revenue streams independent of noble consent.

Control over Military Force

Creating professional armies paid by the state instead of relying on feudal levies.

Religious Control

Gaining authority over the clergy to ensure national unity.

Isabella I of Castile

Queen who married Ferdinand II of Aragon and unified Spain.

Ferdinand II of Aragon

King who married Isabella I and unified Spain.

Reconquista

The campaign to drive Muslims from Spain, completed in 1492.

The Inquisition

Established to enforce Catholic orthodoxy and create a unified national identity.

Concordat of Bologna

Agreement with Pope Leo X allowing the French King to appoint bishops, consolidating church and state.

Henry VII

First Tudor king who ended the War of the Roses and curtailed noble power.

Star Chamber

Royal court used by Henry VII to prosecute nobles without a jury.

Act of Supremacy (1534)

Declaration by Henry VIII asserting control over the Church of England.

God, Gold, and Glory

Motivations for European exploration: religious, economic, and political.

Caravel

A small, highly maneuverable ship developed by the Portuguese for exploration.

Sternpost Rudder

An innovation allowing for more precise steering of ships.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

Agreement dividing the non-European world between Spain and Portugal.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and diseases between the Americas and the Old World.

Demographic Catastrophe

Massive decline of indigenous populations in the Americas due to diseases introduced by Europeans.

Price Revolution

Inflationary period in Europe caused by an influx of silver and increased demand for goods.

Encomienda System

Labor system where conquerors were granted indigenous people to work the land in exchange for Christianizing them.

Bartolomé de Las Casas

Advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples who criticized the brutality of the Encomienda System.

Asiento System

License to trade African slaves to replace native laborers.

Exploration Sponsorship

Funding of explorations, notably by Spain for Christopher Columbus.

Louis XI (The Spider King)

French monarch known for suppressing nobles and expanding royal territory.

Francis I

French king who established control over the church through the Concordat of Bologna.

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztec Empire.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire.

Navigational Tools

Instruments like the magnetic compass and astrolabe that enabled exploration.