Chapter 14 Vocabulary Words

From LearnSocialStudies
Chapter 12 - Vocabulary
Word Definition
audiencias
advisory group who assisted the viceroy in governing Spanish territories in the New World.
capital
 
material wealth used or available for use in the production of more wealth.
conquistadors
 "conquerors." Leaders in the Spanish conquests in the Americas, especially Mexico and Peru, in the sixteenth century.
encomienda
a system that allowed Spanish settlers to collect tribute and use the labor of Native Americans.
joint-stock company
a company or association that raises capital by selling shares to individuals who receive dividends on their investment while a board of directors runs the company.
mercantilism
an economic theory that held that a nation's prosperity depended on its supply of gold and silver and that the total volume of trade is unchangeable therefore, advocated that the government play an active role in the economy by encouraging exports and discouraging imports, especially through the use of tariffs.
middle passage
journey of slaves from Africa to America the middle portion of the triangular trade.
portolani
detailed navigational charts used by sailors for voyages in European waters they were of little use for overseas voyages.
price revolution
the dramatic rise in prices (inflation) that occurred throughout Europe in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.
triangular trade
economic exchange between Europe, Africa and America. 
viceroy
chief civil and military official over Spanish possessions in the New World.