1.7 Rival Empires in the Age of Exploration

major players in the “game” of maritime empires

• portuguese (first major one)

• spain (next major)

the rest that followed along:

• France

• England

• Netherlands

Portugal creating maritime empires (why/how)

why?

• wanted to trade but hard to without Spain interfering and wanted to trade in the spice trade that was being done in the Indian ocean

how?

• Under the leadership of Henry the Navigator, they went all the way under Africa and back up to the Indian Ocean (so Henry the Navigator organized everything)

• an explorer, Vasco de Gama, built trade relations + many trading ports every year

• ultimately setting up a trading post empire —> instead of conquering land, they set up trading ports (dominating the Indian ocean trades during the 16th century)

Spain creating maritime empires (why/how)

• sent Christopher Columbus to join the Indian ocean trade but ended up in the Bahamas

• Spanish Conquistadors, like Hernan Cortes, eventually claimed many parts of the Caribbean, North America, Central America, and the coastline of South America —> Spain didn’t have as many men to fight as the Americas did but they brought European diseases like Smallpox and measles which the American people were not immune to (therefore wiping out a huge part of their population so it’s easier to conquer their land)

France creating maritime empires (why/how)

• claimed large parts of North America and Canada

• explorer Samuel De Champlain founded France’s first permanent settlement at Quebec

• they were more interested in trade not really colonies so they didn’t establish as many

• created alliances with indigenous people like the Huron Confederacy

settler colonies

colonies where English people actually moved into and settled to find a new life

England creating maritime empires (why/how)

• wanted more colonies over trade so they created lots of settler colonies

• mainly set their colonies up on the atlantic coast of north america (the 13 colonies)

• they also did this for the economic benefit (to compete with the other countries)

Netherlands (Dutch) creating maritime empires (why/how)

• created colonies in North America but mainly for trade

• they benefited from their colonies but their main focus was competing with Portugal in the Indian Ocean trade

the most significant tension & resolution during this period

tension/reasons:

• occurred between Portugal and Spain

• in 1481 the Pope granted all the islands south of the Canary Islands to Portugal

• Columbus claimed parts of the Caribbean FOR SPAIN which is south of the Canary Islands (Portugal’s half)

• the king of Portugal basically said those islands belong to them while the Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain basically said they’re crazy so tensions

• Portugal sent their strong navy to go get their islands but Spain (weaker than Portugal got the Pope to decide whose land it is)

resolution:

• The Treaty of Tordesillas that granted all lands to the East to Portugal and all the lands to the West to Spain (even though they didn’t really follow this, it still calmed the tensions between the 2 imperial states)