Unit 4b Vocabulary Terms

Front

Heliocentric Theory

Back

The astronomical model that places the sun at the center of the solar system, with the planets, including Earth, orbiting around it.

Front

Colonization

Back

The process of establishing control over a foreign territory and settling it with inhabitants from the colonizing power.

Front

Mercantilism

Back

An economic theory prevalent during the Age of European Exploration that emphasized the prosperity of a nation depends upon accumulating wealth through a favorable balance of trade, colonization, and the acquiring of gold and silver.

Front

Joint Stock Company

Back

A business practice where stocks (or a share of the ownership in the company) can be bought and owned by shareholders. Those who owned stocks in the company would receive a portion of the profit.

Front

Coercive Labor

Back

Labor that is forced or obtained through coercion, often involving violence or threats.

Front

Encomienda

Back

A system in Spanish America where Spanish colonists were granted land and the right to extract labor and tribute from indigenous inhabitants in exchange for providing them protection and Christian instruction.

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Middle Passage

Back

The leg of the transatlantic slave trade route where enslaved Africans were transported from Africa to the Americas.

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Sakoku

Back

Period of Japan's self-imposed isolation from the 1630s to the mid-19th century, during which the country restricted foreign influence and trade, allowing only limited interactions with specific nations.

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Homogeny

Back

Homogeneity refers to the quality or state of being all the same or similar in nature, which can apply to cultural, social, or physical characteristics within a defined area.

Front

Globalization

Back

The process by which businesses, cultures, and economies become interconnected and dependent on a global scale. It involves the exchange of goods, services, information, and ideas across international borders.