AP U.S. History Flashcards: Columbian Exchange, Spanish Exploration, and Conquest
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
Besides new business models, what technological development spurred the economic changes of this era?
Improvements in maritime technology helped drive changes to economies by making international trade and exploration more efficient.
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Besides new business models, what technological development spurred the economic changes of this era?
Improvements in maritime technology helped drive changes to economies by making international trade and exploration more efficient.
How did the Columbian Exchange affect the European population?
New crops brought from the Americas to Europe stimulated European population growth.
A historian notes a shift from feudalism to capitalism in 16th-century Europe. What development in the Americas was a major contributing factor?
The discovery of new sources of mineral wealth in the Americas was a major factor that facilitated this economic shift in Europe.
What was the Columbian Exchange?
The Columbian Exchange refers to the transfer of new crops, animals, diseases, and technology between Europe and the Americas that began after 1492.
What two key factors drove economic changes in both Europe and the Americas during this period?
Improvements in maritime technology and more organized methods for international trade, such as joint-stock companies, were key drivers of economic change.
What was the most devastating impact of Spanish contact on native populations in the Americas?
Widespread deadly epidemics brought by the Spanish devastated native populations who had no immunity.
What were joint-stock companies?
Joint-stock companies were more organized methods for conducting international trade that helped drive economic changes in Europe and the Americas.
How did new wealth from the Americas impact Europe's economic system?
New sources of mineral wealth from the Americas facilitated the European shift from feudalism to capitalism.
What were the primary causes of the Columbian Exchange?
The Columbian Exchange was caused by Spanish exploration and conquest of the Americas, which was made possible by improvements in maritime technology.
What did the Spanish introduce to the Americas in addition to diseases?
The Spanish introduced crops and animals that were not previously found in the Americas.