| A | B |
|---|
| Medieval (def) | the time of the Middle Ages, roughly the thousand years between 500 and 1500 A. D. |
| Islam (def) | a religion founded by the Arab prophet Mohammed beginning in the seventh century A.D. |
| Christendom (def) | the collective lands of the Chrisitian Church |
| Joint-Stock Company (def) | a form of business arrangement whereby multiple investors pool their funds, creating larger amounts of capital for investment. |
| Renaissance (def) | a french term meaning "rebirth", referring to the new spirit of interest in the classical past and praise of humanity that began in Northern Italy during the 1400's. |
| Caravel (def) | the double rigged ship style sailed by Christopher Columbus and crew on his famous voyages. |
| Moors (def) | North African Muslims. |
| Reconquista (def) | the driving of the Moors from Spain. The completion of the " Reconquista" in 1492 allowed for the first of Columbus' s westward journeys. |
| Columbian Exchange (def) | the transfer of plants, animals, and disease from one hemisphere to another. |
| Encomienda System (def) | a system of slavery in which Spanish colonists bound the natives for life to the land and landholder. |
| Hidalgos (def) | lower order Spanish nobility. |
| Conquistador (def) | the term for Spanish explorers who came to conquer the "savage" peoples of the new world. |
| New Spain (def) | the term for Spain,s North American and Caribbean territories. |
| Viceroy (def) | a govenor who rules a colony in the name of the Crown. |
| Mestizos (def) | people of mixed white and native american ancestry, whom account for more than half of the population of Mexico. |
