WHAP Unit 4: Portuguese and Spanish Explorations

Portuguese Motivations

Eliminate Muslim middlemen in trade routes.

Venice's Role

Set high prices for Eastern goods.

Geographical Advantage

Portugal's proximity to North Africa aided exploration.

Bartolomeu Dias

Rounded Cape of Good Hope in 1488.

Vasco da Gama

Arrived in India in 1497, expanding influence.

Indian Ocean Trade

Diverse goods like spices and textiles exchanged.

European Goods Demand

Low demand in India; used gold and silver.

Cultural Exchange

Trade network included various religions and nationalities.

Trade Post Empire

Controlled commerce through military force.

Pass Requirement

Ships needed passes and duties for trade.

Key Trading Posts

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

Philippines' Strategic Importance

Proximity to Spice Islands and China.

Spanish Conquest Method

Utilized alliances and gifts for control.

Role of Missionaries

Spread Christianity, causing cultural changes.

Women's Roles

Erosion of traditional roles under Spanish rule.

Resistance to Control

Indigenous people fled to mountainous regions.

Manila's Diversity

Included Spanish, Filipinos, Japanese, and Chinese.

Chinese Community in Manila

Vital for trade, resisted Christianity conversion.

Tensions with Chinese

Led to periodic revolts against Spanish.

Trade Routes to China

Facilitated exchange of goods and culture.

British East India Company

Joint-stock company established in the 1600s.

Dutch East India Company

Granted trade monopoly rights by the government.

Dutch Control Tactics

Focused on spice sale and production control.

Banda Island

Focal point for Dutch spice plantations.

British Settlements in India

Established Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras.

Mughal Empire Challenges

Powerful rival to British land control.

Asian Powers' Responses

Unconcerned by European presence in the 1600s.

Siam's Resistance

Expelled the French, showcasing Asian state power.

Japan's Isolation

Shifted towards isolationism under Tokugawa Shogunate.

Perception of Europeans

Seen as threats to Japanese sovereignty.

Christianity Suppression

Shoguns executed converts to maintain control.

Selective Trade Engagement

Dutch were the only allowed European traders.

Japanese Trade Dominance

Began to dominate Southeast Asian trade.

Chinese Merchants' Role

Established significant trade networks in Indian Ocean.

Interconnected Global Economy

Rise of Asian traders challenged European dominance.

Shogunate

Japanese government opposing aggressive trade practices.

Silver Trade

Global network initiated by silver mines in Bolivia and Japan.

Spanish America

Supplied 85% of the world's silver.

Philippines

Key link in the silver trade with Asia.

China

Main consumer of silver, requiring tax payments in silver.

Silver Drain

Traders flocked to Manila for Chinese goods.

Potosi

South American city known for silver mining.

Economic Instability

Spain faced decline due to rigid social structures.

Little Ice Age

Led to increased demand for North American furs.

Native Americans

Crucial in trapping and processing furs.

Ecological Imbalances

Resulted from overhunting in North America.

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

12.5 million Africans forcibly taken to the Americas.

Middle Passage

Notorious for high mortality rates during transport.

Demographic Changes

Slave trade caused significant shifts in African societies.

Cash Crop Plantations

Demand for labor drove the early modern slave trade.

Signares

Elite women gaining wealth through trade with Europeans.

Dahomey

Kingdom navigating complexities of the slave trade.

Royal Control

State involvement in slave raids exemplified by Dahomey.

Cultural Identities

Legacy of the slave trade impacts social structures.

Environmental Degradation

Mining activities harmed local ecosystems.

Social Divides

Wealth from silver created stark disparities.

Alcohol Introduction

Altered traditional roles in Native American communities.

Economic Relationships

Reshaped between Europe and Asia due to silver.

Exploitation System

Taxation on Siberian men for fur collection.

Social Upheaval

Native American societies faced diseases and changes.

Reparations Discussions

Ongoing talks about moral implications of slave trade.

Trade Relationships

Native Americans acquired European goods through furs.

Plantation Labor Demand

High demand for labor peaked between 1700-1850.

Internal Conflict

Tribal rivalries exacerbated by slave trade dynamics.