astrolabe
an instrument used in navigation
caravel
a small, fast Spanish or Portuguese sailing ship of the 15th-17th centuries.
circumnavigate
to sail around the world
colony
a settlement far away from the country that rules it.
Columbian Exchange
The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages.
conquistador
A Spanish conqueror of the Americas
devestation
very serious damage
empire
A group of states or territories controlled by one ruler
epidemic
A widespread outbreak of an infectious disease.
merchant
A person who makes money by selling goods
navigation
An old term used to refer to travel by using a ship
patron
Someone who gives money or other support to a person or group
slave trade
the capture, enslavement, buying and selling of people for profit
technology
Practical use of scientific information to improve the quality of human life: see also applied science
trading post
place in colonial north America where settlers and native Americans met to trade goods