European Explorers Vocabulary

European Explorers Vocabulary 9/19-9/23

1. Exploration: The process of traveling to and throughout previously unknown areas while mapping the areas and recording information about the areas for future travelers. Christopher Columbus set off a 200 year long period of exploration in the New World when he accidently discovered the Americas in 1492.

2. Conquistador: The Spanish name for the explorers and “Conquerors” who travelled to the New World with the intention to conquer the new lands and the indigenous peoples who lived there and gain great wealth and glory for Spain in the process.

3. Significance: To be worthy of attention or importance; Many events in history are important, but the ‘significance’ of an event is in the understanding of WHY that event is important. Columbus’ discovery of the Americas is important, but the significance is that it began a period of exploration and conquest in the New World that would eventually lead us where we are today.

4. Expedition: a lengthy trip to a distant, usually unknown, land with a specific purpose; in the time we are studying, the purpose was usually to either explore and record information about a new area, to conquer and control a new land, to set up a fort or colony, or to search for wealth and riches that could be brought back to Spain.

5. Convert: To change someone’s religious beliefs; Many European conquistadors tried to force the indigenous peoples they encountered to change their religion to the Roman Catholic religion, often with incredibly cruel consequences if they refused.

6. Viceroyalty: A territory conquered by a foreign country which is ruled by an official (called a Viceroy) that is chosen by the monarch of that country; Spain set up the Viceroyalty of New Spain which encompassed Texas, Mexico, and good chunk of Central and South America.

7. Conquest: The act and result of conquering a new land and/or people. Many Spanish conquistadors were on expeditions of conquest to take control over the lands and people of the New World.

8. Indigenous: Being native to a specific place; can refer to people, animals, plants, etc.

9. Mutiny: When soldiers or sailors rise up against their own leaders and officers; A famous example is when the soldiers under command of Sieur de La Salle, the French explorer, rose up against him and murdered him near present day Navasota, TX.

10. Age of Contact: An era in Texas History; it encompasses the time period in which all the major expeditions to explore and conquer the land that today is part of Texas. This era began with Columbus’ discovery of the New World in 1492 and includes the expeditions by such explorers as Pineda, Cabeza de Vaca, De Soto, Moscoso, Coronado, Onate, and La Salle. The last major expedition of this era was the La Salle expedition which ended in 1689 and is considered the end point of the Age of Contact.