European Exploration:  14th Century to 17th Century

Background Knowledge

  •  Conquistador: (kon-key-stee-door) A conquerer, a Spanish soldier sent to explore the Americas, claiming land for Spain.
  • Spanish Armada: A fleet of ships sent to restore Catholicism by invading England.
  • Nicholas Copernicus: An astronomer who lived during the Renaissancce and Reformation.
  • Northwest Passage: A route through the Arctic Ocean, basiclly circling the North Pole.
  • Treaty of Tordesillas: A treaty where Portugal and Spain agreed to divide up the land of the Western Hemisphere between them.
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Nicholas Copernicus