Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections

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 Columbian Exchange was the Transatlantic transfer of

animals, plants, diseases, people, technology, ideas among Europe, Americas, and Africa

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