Challenges to State Power and Maritime Empires (1450-1750)

Resistance to Imperial Expansion

Empires faced significant resistance both from within their own populations and from colonized peoples, driven by factors such as oppression, loss of land, economic exploitation, and cultural/religious clashes.

General Resistance to Conquest

Empires faced resistance simply by conquering new territories and people.

Resistance from Enslaved Communities

Enslaved Africans in the Americas mounted significant resistance against the brutal system of slavery.

Resistance Driven by Political and Economic Grievances

Movements arose to challenge the centralizing power of monarchs and the exploitative economic practices of imperial states.

Economic Foundations of Maritime Empires

European maritime empires employed specific economic strategies to increase their power and wealth.

Mercantilism

The dominant economic theory driving policies aimed at accumulating wealth (gold and silver) through a favorable balance of trade.

Joint-stock companies

A key mechanism for financing colonial expansion and trade.

Impact of Maritime Empires

The development and maintenance of maritime empires had profound effects on the political, economic, religious, and cultural dynamics of both the imperial powers and the regions they influenced.

Global trade networks

The rise of global trade networks facilitated the exchange of goods and ideas, though often uneven and coercive.

Transatlantic slave trade

A system that involved the forced migration and exploitation of labor.

Social hierarchies and cultural syncretism

The emergence of new social hierarchies and cultural syncretism as a result of imperial influences.

The Fronde

A series of civil disturbances in France between 1648 and 1653 aimed to limit the growing power of the French monarchy, particularly under Louis XIV.

Queen Ana Nzinga

Queen Nzinga of Ndongo (present-day Angola) resisted Portuguese expansion and slave raiding in the 17th century, forming the state of Matamba and allying with the Dutch.

Metacom's War/King Philip's War

A conflict (1675-1678) arising from English colonists encroaching on Native American lands, led by Metacom (King Philip) against English settlers.

The Stono Rebellion

A significant rebellion of enslaved Africans in South Carolina in 1739, where approximately 100 enslaved persons stormed the local Armory and traveled through the countryside killing their enslavers.

Pugachev Rebellion

An internal challenge to state power in Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great, likely fueled by harsh conditions of serfdom.

The Glorious Revolution

The peaceful overthrow of James II of England in 1688, demonstrating resistance to a monarch perceived as too Catholic and too inclined towards absolutism.

Resistance in Japan (Tokugawa Shogunate)

Anti-foreign sentiments, particularly after the Shimabara Rebellion (1637-1638), led the Tokugawa government to implement the Sakaku policy, or 'closed country,' severely restricting foreign contact.

Sakaku policy

'Closed country' policy implemented by the Tokugawa government to restrict foreign contact.

Mercantilism

A state-driven economic system that emphasizes the buildup of mineral wealth by maintaining a favorable balance of trade.

Joint-Stock Companies

Limited liability businesses often chartered by the state and funded by a group of investors, allowing for private financing of exploration, trade, and colonization.

Commercial Revolution

The influx of gold and silver from the Americas led to a transformation of the global economy to one based on trade and use of gold and silver instead of other goods.

Triangular Trade

A three-leg Atlantic trading system involving goods from Europe, enslaved Africans, and American raw materials like sugar and tobacco.

Trade Monopolies

Exclusive trading rights granted by European rulers to certain merchants or governments over specific commodities or at given ports.

Weakening of Some African States

The transatlantic slave trade severely weakened some African states like the Kingdom of the Kongo due to the loss of population, particularly young men.

African Diaspora

The forced migration of millions of Africans that led to a global spread of African people and significantly altered the racial and cultural makeup of American societies.

Cultural Synthesis

The interaction of African, American, and European cultures in the Atlantic trading system resulted in a cultural synthesis with contributions from all groups.

Economic Rivalries and Conflicts

Competition over resources, trade routes, and colonial territories led to economic disputes and conflicts between states, often resulting in military expansion.

Rise of a European Middle Class

Successful businesses and increased capital in Western Europe led to the growth of a developing European middle class with money to invest and purchase imported luxuries.

Continuity of Regional Markets

Despite the growth of large-scale trade, traditional regional markets with respect to trade continued to flourish.

Demographic changes

Changes in population dynamics, particularly due to the loss of young men in African states from the slave trade.

Syncretic religious forms

Religious practices that blend elements from different traditions, such as Santéria, Vodun, and Candomblé.

Virgin of Guadalupe

A cultural figure resulting from the cultural synthesis in the Americas, representing a blend of indigenous and European influences.

Economic disputes

Conflicts arising from competition over resources, trade routes, and colonial territories.

Favorable balance of trade

The economic goal of exporting more than importing to accumulate wealth.

Finite wealth

The concept that global wealth is limited, often measured in gold and silver.

Colonies

Territories established by a mother country to serve its economic interests, particularly in providing raw materials.

Economic strategies of maritime empires

Approaches used by maritime empires to enhance their economic power and influence through trade and colonization.

Mercantilism

An economic system where colonies provide raw materials to the mother country and serve as captive markets for its manufactured goods.

Joint-stock companies

Businesses owned by investors who bought shares, sharing both profits and risks, often chartered by the state and granted monopolies over trade.

British East India Company

A joint-stock company that was instrumental in expanding European influence, establishing trade networks, and exploiting resources in Asia.

Dutch East India Company

A joint-stock company that played a key role in expanding European influence and trade in Asia.

Commercial Revolution

A period marked by the massive influx of silver from Spanish colonies in the Americas, transforming trade patterns and contributing to a global economy.

Triangular Trade

A transatlantic trade system involving the transportation of European goods to Africa, enslaved Africans to the Americas, and raw materials from the Americas back to Europe.

Middle Passage

The forced transportation of enslaved Africans to the Americas, part of the Triangular Trade.

Cash crops

Crops like sugar and tobacco that were produced in the American colonies and drove the demand for labor.

King Philip's War

An armed rebellion by various Native American tribes in New England against English colonial expansion.

Pueblo Revolt

An uprising of indigenous Pueblo people against Spanish colonizers in present-day New Mexico.

Stono Rebellion

A slave uprising in South Carolina in 1739, where enslaved people resisted their oppression.

Maroon wars

Conflicts between escaped enslaved people (Maroons) and colonial authorities in the Americas.

Fronde

A series of civil wars in France during the mid-17th century that challenged monarchical authority.

Cossack Rebellions

Armed uprisings by Cossacks in Russia against the central authority.

Pugachev Rebellion

A major peasant uprising in Russia led by Yemelyan Pugachev in the 18th century.

Glorious Revolution

The 1688 overthrow of King James II of England, leading to constitutional changes.

Indigenous resistance

Various forms of opposition by indigenous populations against European colonizers, including armed rebellions and cultural preservation efforts.

Social disruption

The significant societal changes and upheaval caused by the Triangular Trade and the slave trade.

Demographics of the Americas

The population changes and cultural landscape shaped by the influx of enslaved Africans and European colonization.

Imperial control

The authority exerted by empires over their colonies, often leading to resistance movements.

Cultural practices

Traditions and customs of indigenous populations that were threatened by colonial expansion.

Basic human rights

Fundamental rights that were often violated during the period of imperial expansion.

Pueblo Revolt

A successful uprising of Pueblo and Apache peoples against Spanish rule in present-day New Mexico, driven by religious persecution and forced labor.

Queen Ana Nzinga

The queen of Ndongo and later Matamba in Africa who resisted Portuguese colonization and the slave trade through military and diplomatic means.

Enslaved Africans' resistance

Numerous ways enslaved Africans resisted slavery in the Americas, including subtle acts of defiance, organized rebellions, breaking tools, feigning illness, and maintaining cultural traditions.

Stono Rebellion

An armed rebellion by enslaved Africans in South Carolina aimed at resisting slavery.

Nat Turner's Rebellion

A rebellion led by Nat Turner in the 19th century as a form of resistance against slavery.

Fronde

A series of civil disturbances in France aimed at limiting the power of the monarchy under Louis XIV, occurring between 1648 and 1653.

Glorious Revolution

The overthrow of King James II of England in 1688, resulting in the establishment of a constitutional monarchy and increased power for Parliament.

Cossack Rebellions

Peasant and frontier resistance in Russia against serfdom and centralized authority, ultimately suppressed by the state.

Absolutism

A political doctrine where a monarch holds supreme autocratic authority, not restricted by a constitution or laws.

Balance of Trade

The difference in value between a country's imports and exports, with mercantilism aiming for a favorable balance.

Capital

Material wealth available for use in the production of more wealth.

Commercial Revolution

A period of significant economic growth and transformation in Europe and globally, marked by increased trade and the rise of capitalism.

Creoles

Persons of European descent born in the Americas.

Divine Right of Kings

The belief that a monarch's authority comes directly from God and cannot be challenged by earthly powers.

Exports

Goods or services sold to another country.

Favorable Balance of Trade

A situation where a country exports more goods and services than it imports.

Imports

Goods or services purchased from another country.

Indentured Servants

Individuals who contracted to work for a specified period in exchange for passage to the Americas and eventual freedom.

Joint-Stock Company

A business entity owned by shareholders who invest capital and share in the profits and losses.

Limited Liability

A legal principle where an investor's personal assets are protected from a company's debts beyond the amount of their investment.

Maritime Empire

An empire based on sea power and control of trade routes and colonies overseas.

Mercantilism

An economic theory prevalent in Europe from the 16th to 18th centuries that promoted state intervention in the economy to increase national wealth, primarily through a favorable balance of trade and the accumulation of gold and silver.

Metacom's War (King Philip's War)

A conflict in New England (1675-1678) between Native American tribes led by Metacom (King Philip) and English colonists over land and sovereignty.

Monopoly

Exclusive control over the supply or trade of a particular product or service.

Pugachev Rebellion

A large-scale peasant revolt in Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great (1773-1775), led by Yemelyan Pugachev, who claimed to be the deposed Tsar Peter III.

Racism

The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.

Serfdom

A labor system, particularly prevalent in Eastern Europe, in which peasants were bound to the land and under the control of their landlords.

Stono Rebellion

A slave rebellion in South Carolina in 1739, where enslaved Africans attempted to march to freedom in Spanish Florida.

Triangular Trade

A complex system of transatlantic trade routes that involved the exchange of goods, enslaved Africans, and raw materials between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Early 1500s

The Portuguese are active in the Indian Ocean trade.

Pre-1500

The Mediterranean and Indian Ocean Basin were major areas for the old-world slave trade.

1509

The Portuguese defeat Muslim and Venetian forces in a naval battle in the Arabian Sea, gaining control over trade routes.

1600

The British East India Company is established.

1602

The Dutch East India Company (VOC) is established and granted a trade monopoly in the Indian Ocean by the Dutch state.

1609

The Bank of Amsterdam begins trading currency internationally.

17th Century

European powers generally measure wealth in gold and silver, leading to mercantilist economic strategies.

1500-1866

The Atlantic slave trade forcibly brings an estimated 12.5 million Africans to the Americas.

Throughout the Period (1450-1750)

Mercantilism is the dominant economic system in Europe, driving colonial expansion and emphasizing exports over imports to accumulate gold and silver.

Challenges to State Power & Rebellions

A series of events including Ana Nzinga's resistance to Portuguese slave raids and the Fronde civil disturbances in France.

1624

Ana Nzinga becomes the ruler of Ndongo in south-central Africa, resisting Portuguese slave raids.