WHAP Unit 4: Portuguese and Spanish Explorations

Muslim Middlemen

Controlled trade routes, inflated Eastern goods prices.

Venice

Key player in Eastern goods market pricing.

Bartolomeu Dias

Rounded Cape of Good Hope in 1488.

Vasco da Gama

Arrived in India in 1497, expanding influence.

Indian Ocean Trade Network

Diverse goods like spices, textiles, and stones.

Gold and Silver Trade

Portuguese purchased goods outright, no trade agreements.

Trade Post Empire

Controlled commerce through military force, not competition.

Fortified Trading Posts

Established in Mombasa, Hormuz, Goa, Malacca, Macao.

Philippines

Strategic location near Spice Islands and China.

Spanish Conquest

Bloodless, used alliances and gifts for control.

Spanish Missionaries

Spread Christianity, leading to cultural changes.

Erosion of Women's Roles

Traditional roles diminished under Spanish colonial rule.

Resistance to Spanish Control

Indigenous people fled to mountains to escape.

Manila

Bustling capital with a diverse population.

Chinese Community in Manila

Vital for trade, resisted conversion to Christianity.

Tensions with Chinese

Periodic revolts reflected colonial complexities.

Joint-Stock Companies

Shared financial risk, rapid capital accumulation.

British East India Company

Established to compete in Indian Ocean trade.

Dutch East India Company

Granted trade monopoly rights by the government.

Banda Islands

Focus of Dutch plantations, used slave labor.

British Settlements in India

Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras established.

Mughal Empire

Powerful, challenged British land control.

Qing Dynasty

Unconcerned by European presence in the 1600s.

Tokugawa Shogunate

Unified Japan, marked shift towards isolationism.

Japanese Isolationism

Limited European influence after mid-1600s.

Perception of Europeans

Seen as a threat to Japanese sovereignty.

Suppression of Christianity

Shoguns executed converts to maintain control.

Selective Engagement

Only Dutch allowed trade, others banned.

Asian Trade Expansion

Japanese traders dominated Southeast Asia in 1600s.

Chinese Merchants

Established significant trade networks in Indian Ocean.

Asian Traders

Increased global economic interconnectivity, challenging European dominance.

Shogunate

Political authority in Japan, limiting aggressive trade practices.

Trade Networks

Facilitated cultural exchanges and spread goods across Asia.

Global Silver Network

A trade network initiated by silver discoveries in Bolivia and Japan.

Spanish America

Supplied 85% of the world's silver for commerce.

China's Silver Demand

Required tax payments in silver, inflating its value.

Silver Drain

Traders flocked to Manila to exchange silver for goods.

Potosi

South American city, hub for silver mining despite harsh conditions.

Social Divides

Wealth from silver created stark contrasts in living conditions.

Environmental Degradation

Mining activities harmed local ecosystems and communities.

Economic Instability in Spain

Influx of silver led to decline in power and rigid structures.

Japan's Silver Revenue

Unified the country, investing in agriculture and industry.

Little Ice Age

Decline in fur-bearing animals increased demand for North American furs.

Native American Role

Crucial in trapping and processing furs, leveraging local knowledge.

Fur Trade Relationships

European goods exchanged for furs, altering Native American dynamics.

Ecological Imbalances

Overhunting led to declining beaver populations and habitat loss.

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

12.5 million Africans forcibly taken to the Americas (1500-1866).

Demographic Changes

Slave trade caused significant shifts in African societies.

Middle Passage

Notorious for high mortality rates during slave transport.

Resistance to Slavery

Manifested in rebellions and establishment of maroon societies.

Economic Benefits of Slavery

Contributed to wealth of American colonies through cash crops.

Signares

Elite women gained wealth through trade with Europeans.

Political Changes in Africa

Rise of centralized powers due to decline of kinship societies.

Legacy of Slave Trade

Continues to impact social structures and cultural identities.

Reparations Discussions

Ongoing debates about accountability for historical injustices.

Economic Disparities

Understanding slave trade complexities aids in comprehending modern issues.