Unit Review

• What was the focus of Muslim empires during the Age of Exploration?

  Territorial control and overland trade routes
• How did European maritime voyages differ from Zheng He's voyages?

  Europeans focused on trade and colonization
• What were key advancements in ocean travel technology?

  Astrolabe, compass, and caravels
• What was Galileo Galilei's contribution to science?

  Improved the telescope and supported heliocentrism
• What was the astrolabe's role in European exploration?

  Determined latitude by measuring star positions
• How did the compass aid European exploration?

  Enabled accurate navigation without land sight
• What advantages did caravels offer sailors?

  Smaller, lighter, and more maneuverable ships
• What were galleons designed for?

  Long-distance trade and warfare
• What was the primary focus of the fluyt ship?

  Prioritized cargo capacity and efficiency
• Which two European powers competed in North America?

  England and France
• What motivated French settlement in North America?

  Fur trade and profitable colonies
• How did the Dutch establish dominance in the East Indies?

  By forming the Dutch East India Company
• What was Spain's main reason for colonization?

  To acquire wealth, especially gold and silver
• What aided Hernan Cortes in conquering the Aztec Empire?

  Alliances with native groups and superior weaponry
• What was the purpose of the Muscovy Company?

  To develop commerce between England and Russia
• What was the role of the British East India Company?

  Controlled British trade in India and Asia
• Which kingdom initiated the Age of Exploration?

  Portugal
• How did European explorers justify their expansion?

  As a fulfillment of divine will
• Why did England and the Netherlands emerge as maritime powers later?

  Due to commercial success and naval technology
• Where did the first successful slave revolt occur?

  Saint-Domingue (now Haiti)
• What did the Treaty of Tordesillas accomplish?

  Divided newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal
• What diseases devastated Indigenous populations in the New World?

  Smallpox and measles
• How did the Columbian Exchange benefit Europeans?

  Introduced new foods that increased productivity
• How did horses impact Indigenous American lifestyles?

  Transformed transportation, hunting, and warfare
• What crops were transferred between Afro-Eurasia and the Americas?


  Wheat, sugar, and coffee to Americas
• Why were African slaves imported to the Americas?

  Demand for labor on plantations after Indigenous decline
• How did Spanish and Portuguese exploration differ?

  Spain focused on conquest, Portugal on trade
• What did the Columbian Exchange introduce to the Americas?

  Horses, cattle, wheat, sugar, and diseases
• What did the Columbian Exchange introduce to Europe?

  Potatoes, maize, tomatoes, and tobacco
• What impact did the slave trade have on African societies?

  Disrupted societies and caused political instability
• What were "engenhos" in Brazil?

  Sugar mills central to the sugar industry
• What are cash crops?

  Crops grown for sale, not personal use
• What demographic impact did the slave trade have in Africa?

  Forced removal of millions and population loss
• What was the Triangular Trade system?

  Exchange of goods and slaves between three regions
• What did African traders prefer in slave trade exchanges?

  Firearms, textiles, and alcohol
• What does the "Middle Passage" refer to?

  Brutal journey of enslaved Africans to Americas
• What characterized the Asante Kingdom?

  Powerful military and wealth from gold trade
• What role did Swahili Arabs play in trade?

  Connected Africa with Indian Ocean trade networks
• How did Omanis challenge Portuguese dominance?

  Established control over key ports like Zanzibar
• What were the effects of European expansion in mining?

  Led to inflation and global trade development