Studied by 5 people
Portuguese and Spanish controlled
major shipping routes in Indian Ocean, Indonesia, Atlantic Ocean
Portugal financed
explorations
Prince Henry the Navigator
(King John I’s son)
Vasco da Gama:
explored eastern Africa, India
Spain also did:
Financed Christopher Columbus
Financed Christopher Columbus
explored Americas
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494):
agreement between Spain and Portugal to split colonized land between them
England, Netherlands, France launched own explorations to acquire new colonies -
caused rise in nationalism and powerful monarchies
Amerigo Vespucci (1500):
South America
Ponce de Leon (1513):
Florida
Vasco de Balboa (1513):
Central America
Ferdinand Magellan (1519):
South America to Philippines
Giovanni da Verrazzano (1524):
North America
Sir Francis Drake (1578):
circumnavigated the globe
John Cabot (1497):
North America
Henry Hudson (1609):
Hudson River
Sternpost Rudder:
invented in China - better control of ships
Lateen Sails:
invented in Roman Empire - allowed directional control of ships
Astrolabe:
navigation device that measured distance between sun and stars on horizon to determine latitude
Magnetic Compass:
developed in China - determine direction
Three-Masted Caravels:
large ships fit for longer journeys
Spanish explorers found
great wealth in Aztec and Inca Empires
Hernando Cortés:
landed on coast of Mexico in 1519 - sought to exploit the Aztec Empire of their gold and spices
Neighbouring states were willing to help Spanish conquer
Aztecs as they had taken over a lot of the neighbouring communities - or those who didn’t cooperate were forced or killed
Became very hungry for wealth and quickly seized
Montezuma and began a siege of Tenochtitlan
Spanish brought smallpox to the Aztec Empire which
reduced their population from 20 million in 1520 to 2 million in 1580 - Spanish were able to take control in 1525
Francisco Pizarro took over
Inca Empire in 1531 partially due to spreading disease to them
Spanish implemented a
hierarchical colonial society as they took over the New World
Peninsulares:
Spanish officials governing the colonies
Creoles:
Spanish born in colonies to Spanish parents - barred from high positions but were educated and wealthy
Mestizos:
those with European/Native American ancestry
Mulattos:
those with European/African ancestry
encomineda system: Structure
native americans
Viceroys:
governors of each of 5 regions of New Spain - established the encomienda system
the encomienda system
system of forced labour of the natives and African slaves
Slaves brought to New World to work
on the plantations and mines
Europe exploited a system of slavery already existing in Africa
prisoners were supposed to serve their captors before being released
Europeans traded for their surplus of enslaved people, but
didn’t understand that they were supposed to be released
As demand for slaves in Europe increased, Europe became even more ruthless -
kidnapping Africans, causing wars, forcing rulers to give up their citizens
Slaves were forced
onto ships, chained below deck, and endured brutal Middle Passage
Around 13 million Africans were taken -
60% to South America, 35% to Caribbean, 5% to North America, around 20% of people on each trip perished
the Colombian exchange Never before had
so much moved across the ocean
Transfer of food products caused
population increase in Europe, Asia, and Africa
Two key products:
sugar, silver - both used significant forced labour
sugar
(plantations appeared all over Spanish colonies)
silver
(mining also in Spanish colonies)
Spanish control of silver opened doors in
Ming China
Age of Exploration:
trading, empire building, conquest - due to financing schemes
Banking became a respectable practice - lead to
joint-stock company
joint-stock company
(pool resources of merchants to distribute costs and reducing dangers of individual investors)
the commercial revolution led to
huge profits and modern-day concept of stock markets
Muscovy Company, Dutch East India Company
took over trade routes
Mercantilism:
theory that creating a favourable balance of import and export was best
mercantilism led to
Europe’s intense colonialism to match their import demand
mercantilism caused
resentment in colonies
Europe established limited trade with
China from 16-18th century
Portugal gained control of
Spice Islands to gain access to China
China and Japan still highly limited their trade with
Europe
Major movements of the times affected
parts of Europe differently
People with power guarded
developments
Peasant class weren’t able to
participate in any developments
Powerful states were also developed in
Middle East, India, China, and Japan
Monarchies contributed to development of
strong loyalties and led to many conflicts/wars
Note 
Flashcard (43)