lecture 14 the making of empires

why did European powers, compared to Asian powers, establish more colonies in America

• Closer Geographically

• Wind Currents favored European travel

• Asian powers already had access to the best marketplace in the world (Indian Ocean Trading Network)

• European powers compete fiercely

why did Europe come over

• hard to expand much in Europe - competition and jealousy

• Independent Merchants would do anything to make money quickly

• Missionary missions 

• Persecuted Minorities wanted a new home away from persecution in Europe.

potential advantages of the Americas against European conquest

• Powerful and Sophisticated Empires - Aztec + Inca

• American Civilizations had the home field advantage

advantages of Europe over America during conquest

• Highly Motivated and Strong Governments behind them

• Ironworking + Horses + Gunpowder

• American Societies were highly divided

  • Aztecs had subjugated most of their neighbors. Hernan Cortes leads a coalition of subjugated people to fight Aztec

  • Inca were fighting a succession civil war.

• European Germs

describe the great dying

• Diseases decimate populations quickly (Why?)

• At the same time, the Little Ice Age takes place

• Causes crop failures throughout the world, especially in the Americas'

  • so many deaths - forests regrew, cooled

how did Spanish conquistadors take Aztecs and Inca

• Spanish conquistadors conquered these states mostly intact

  • Incan and Aztec bureaucrats sometimes works closely with Spanish to keep the government functioning - instant taxes for Spanish.  

describe the economies of Spanish conquests

• Economies focused primarily on exporting cash crops + SILVER AND GOLD

  • Harsh, back breaking labor - Spanish do not work, native americans do. 

  • Encomienda and Hacienda systems

define the encomienda system

forced labor, inspiration from Inca taxation system

define the hacienda system

• after Encomienda, technically employing native peoples, high taxes and low wages meant people could not leave

what did Europe give the americas

• livestock

• diseases

• coffee, sugarcane, onion

what did the Americas give europe

• tobacco, turkey

• squash, potato, bean, tomato, corn

describe slavery on cash crop plantations

• Sugar and Tobacco require extremely tough and dangerous labor

• lots of slaves died - constant need for new

  • Roughly 10% of enslaved people died making the journey - The Middle Passage

• Extremely harsh punishments were inflicted on enslaved people for minor infractions