Age of Exploration Vocabulary

A supply of valuable materials or commodities, such as spices, precious metals, or natural goods.

• Resource

• Asset

• Commodity

• Supply Chain

The exchange or influence between people or groups, such as the interactions between European explorers and indigenous peoples during the Age of Exploration.

• Interaction

• Isolation

• Segregation

• Disconnection

The ability to understand and share the feelings of others, important when learning about the impact of exploration on different cultures and peoples.

• Compassion

• Empathy

• Sympathy

• Apathy

Steady winds that blow from east to west near the equator, caused by the Earth’s rotation and the uneven heating of the atmosphere.

• Trade Winds

• Polar Winds

• Westerlies

• Monsoon Winds

A sea route through the Arctic Ocean along the northern coast of North America, sought by explorers as a direct route from Europe to Asia.

• Northwest Passage

• Northeast Passage

• Suez Canal

• Panama Canal

A network of overland trade routes that connected China, India, and the Middle East to Europe, facilitating the exchange of goods like silk, spices, and ideas before sea exploration expanded.

• Silk Road

• Spice Route

• Maritime Silk Road

• Trans-Saharan Trade Route

Relating to the production, distribution, and use of goods and services.

• Economic

• Commercial

• Industrial

• Financial

The activity of buying and selling goods and services, especially on a large scale, such as the global trade networks established during the Age of Exploration.

• Commerce

• Trade

• Economics

• Industry

A territory ruled or governed by a distant country, often settled by colonists and exploited for its resources.

• Territory

• Colony

• Protectorate

• Dominion

The exchange of valuable spices like pepper, cloves, and cinnamon, primarily between Europe, Asia, and Africa. These goods were in high demand for their ability to preserve food and add flavor, motivating European exploration for new trade routes.

• Silk Road

• Spice Trade

• Cotton Exchange

• Tea Route