Chapter 14 Europe and the World: New Encounters, 1500 - 1800

The Travels of John Mandeville

An example of travel literature, most of which was fantasy and inaccurate about 'Fantastic Lands', that inspired many in Europe to explore the world and seek fame and fortune.

Marco Polo

A Venetian explorer in the middle ages that wrote down many of his true life adventures while traveling in Asia, called The Travels, that inspired many Renaissance explorers to venture out and explore.

Fantastic Lands, Economic gains and riches, Religious Zeal. Or as some say from the period... God, Glory, Gold.

Three key motivations for European explorers to leave the safety of their homes and lives and venture forth into the little known parts of the world.

Ptolemy's World Map

A map of the world created by a Greek in the second century A.D., now called C.E. (Common Era) that was rediscovered and used by fifteenth century European explorers. It was very useful because it took into account the curvature of the Earth where other maps were less realistic and based as if the Earth were flat.

Axial Rudder, Lateen Sails, Compass, Astrolabe

Inventions that greatly improved the sailing ships of the 1400's and later that let Europeans sail greater distances in increased safety away from the direct shoreline they had been forced to follow along in earlier time periods.

Prince Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese noble that founded the first school for navigators. This greatly increased the skills and abilities of his nations navy giving them a big and early advantage in the exploration and colonization expansion.

Portuguese Motives for Exploration

To find new Christian kingdoms out in the world to help them combat the Muslim armies they have historically been in conflict with and to increase the nations wealth by finding new trade opportunities, namely gold from Africa and spices from the far east.

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer to first make the trip sailing to India. He famously told the people he met he was looking for Christians and spices. He found no Christians but did take back a fortune in spices, namely ginger and cinnamon.

Admiral Afonso de Albuquerque

Portuguese naval commander that used brutality and superior military technology and tactics to win control of Malacca on the Malay peninsula away from the Muslim rulers that held it. He used terror to defeat and drive away Muslim rivals by ordering the right arm cut off from Muslim men and the noses and ears cut off of Muslim women to win control of the Spice Islands and trade.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer hired by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain to find a new sailing route to Asia. He believed that he found a way to India, but he really discovered and landed on the Island of Hispaniola, modern day Haiti and Dominican Republic, what we now refer to as part of the New World.

John Cabot

Venetian explorer who explored the New England coastline of the Americas under license from King Henry VII of England.

Amerigo Vespucci

A Florentine writer who accompanied ships sailing and charting parts of the New World in 1500 wrote about and described in great detail information about the new discoveries. This led to the use of the term 'America' to describe the new lands.

Ferdinand Magellan

Naval explorer given credit for being the first to lead an expedition to circumnavigate the globe in 1519. Only one of his five ships made the return trip and he was himself killed while in the Philippines by natives.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A treaty brokered by the Catholic Church that divided up the discoveries and territories in the New World between Spain and Portugal. Spain would end up getting control over much of South and Central America.

Conquistadors

Described as part adventurer and part soldier. They were motivated like many in the period by glory, greed and religious crusading zeal. They were able to conquer much of South and Central America by using superior weapons, tactics as well as working with friendly natives to gain control. Many of their native enemies were also greatly weakened by the introduction of deadly diseases brought by the Europeans.

Hernan Cortes

Leader of the Spanish forces in the New World. He would lead them in a major victory and conquer the Aztecs, much of what is modern day Mexico in 1520.

Aztec Empire

Large collections of loosely linked kingdoms in what is now modern day Mexico that came to power in the 1100's. They dominated and controlled smaller native tribes but they themselves were destroyed the the Spanish invaders after 1520. Smallpox and other diseases brought by the Europeans played a large part in bringing them down and making them too weak to drive out the Spanish.

Inca Empire

An empire in what is now modern day Peru. This empire was devastated by smallpox, from Aztecs and others fleeing from the disease and Spanish invaders. They were already weak when the Spanish, led by Francisco Pizarro, showed up and conquered the empire in 1535.

Encomienda

An economic and social system system that permitted the conquering Spaniards to collect tribute from the natives and to use them as laborers. The system often saw abuses being so far from Spain and was a failure.

Viceroy System

The system that replaced the Encomienda system. In this system the Viceroy, or representative of the king would rule over the distant territory in the kings name and interest directly.

Triangular Trade

The name for the pattern of trade that developed after the discovery of the New World that connected Europe, Africa and the New World. Europe would send finished trade goods to Africa and use them to trade for slaves, the slaves were then shipped to the Americas for sale. The Europeans would then use the money to buy raw materials and goods such as cotton, rum, coffee and tobacco and resell them on European markets.

Middle Passage

The name for the route the slave ships would take when hauling ship loads of slaves for sale in the New World. It was known for being very brutal and having a mortality rate of around 10% because of the lack of sanitation and poor conditions on the long sea journey.

Columbian Exchange

This term describes the reciprocal importation and exportation of plants and animals between Europe and the New World. For example, Europe imported potatoes, chocolate, corn, tomatoes and tobacco from the New World while the New World gained horses, cattle and wheat.

Price Revolution

The term used to describe the inflation associated with the cost of goods, particularly food, in Europe. Peoples wages did not go up but their costs were on the rise. This led many in Europe, mostly the lower classes, to have a lower standard of living. The most common reason given for this event is the rise in population and the greater demand placed on available land and food production.

Joint-Stock Company

This new type of business model made it easier to raise the large amounts of money to create large, overseas companies. A group of investors would pool their money, each buying a share of the company and share in it's profits and revenues. A modern version of this you could liken it to would be the Stock Market we know and use in the United States today.

Mercantilism

This was the business model used by several of the European nations during the 1500's to the 1700's. In this model governments tried to hoard their precious metals, implemented protectionist trade policies, promoted colonial development, increased ship building, supported trading companies and encourage manufacturing of products to be used in trade. The overall goal was to sell more than you had to purchase keeping your nation profitable.