Connections and Trade

The Monarch

  • Monarchies allow private companies to invest and spend money with their support, but are not directly responsible for their endeavors.
  • Magna Carta and limitations on the monarchy influenced England's trajectory from the 1200s.

Sugar, Slave Trade, and Populations

  • Mestizo populations, Creole peoples, and Maroons are important to remember.
  • These historical processes involved real people living their lives, not grand historical narratives.

Exploration and Colonization

  • Jamestown:
    • Founded in 1607 by the English.
  • The Dutch:
    • Present in South America (Suriname, formerly Dutch Guiana).
    • Present in Southeast Asia, defeating various powers.

The Black Legend

  • Definition: A perception of the Spanish as uniquely malignant.
  • Non-Catholic countries, such as Britain, viewed Spanish actions like the Encomienda system and enslavement of Native Americans as evil due to Catholicism.
  • This perception helped the English and Dutch distinguish themselves from the Spanish.
  • Included the idea that Spanish people are not fully human and enslaved to the Pope.

The Protestant Reformation

  • Reasons for the Reformation:
    • Corruption in the Catholic Church, including indulgences.
    • The Church's perceived lack of direction, such as having multiple Popes.
    • Centralized royal authority: States like England were unwilling to give power and money to the Church.
    • The printing press facilitated the spread of new ideas.
  • Christian Humanism: Context for the Protestant Reformation.
  • Changes:
    • Key idea: Faith alone (Martin Luther's idea).
    • Rejection of rituals, confession, and the authority of priests.
    • Emphasis on personal understanding of the Bible and personal faith.
  • Key Figures:
    • Martin Luther.
    • John Calvin: Predestination—the idea that God has already determined who will be saved.
      • Acting in a godly way can be seen as evidence of being chosen for salvation.
  • The English Reformation:
    • Most important for our purposes.
    • Driven by political factors: Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife and take the Catholic Church's property and money.
    • Henry VIII made himself head of the Church of England.

Slavery and the Triangle Trade

  • Triangle Trade:
    • A system involving trade between Africa, the Americas, and Europe.
    • Slaves were transported from Africa to the Americas.
    • Raw materials (sugar, tobacco) were sent from the Americas to Europe.
    • Finished goods were sold from Europe to the Americas and Africa.
  • Middle Passage: The journey of slaves across the Atlantic.

Songhai Empire

  • Succeeded the Malian Empire.
  • A trans-Saharan trade empire centered on gold.
  • Declined as overland trade became less important due to the Age of Exploration.

Columbian Exchange

  • Spread of:
    • Christianity.
    • Food.
    • Animals.
    • Disease (especially impactful in the Americas).

Southeast Asia

  • The Dutch encountered various traders in Southeast Asia.

Joint Stock Companies

  • Important for understanding economic changes.

European Changes

  • The Reformation started in 1517.
  • Exploration.
  • Feudalism was declining but still present.

Religious Conflict and Social Pressures in Europe

  • Religious conflicts, such as the French Wars of Religion involving Huguenots (French Protestants).
  • Social pressures due to war, famine, and plague.
  • Witchcraft hysteria emerged during this period.
  • Population rose from 1500 to 1600, then declined after 1650.

Mercantilism

The Thirty Years' War

  • A destructive European conflict that was more political than religious.
  • Primarily between France and the Holy Roman Empire.
  • Led to the rise of powerful nations like France.

Absolutism

  • An effort to resolve conflict in Europe by centralizing power in a monarch.
  • Examples: Russia, Prussia, Austria, and France (Louis XIV).
  • England did not embrace absolutism, experiencing civil war and restoration instead due to the Magna Carta and limitations on the power of the king.

The Ottoman Empire

  • 1453: Constantinople fell to the Ottomans.
  • Characterized as a Gunpowder Empire.
  • Perceptions varied:
    • Europeans viewed them as aggressive and apostate.
    • Within the empire, they were seen as relatively tolerant as long as subjects submitted to Ottoman rule.
  • Cosmopolitan with diverse populations.
  • Grew strong through taxation.
  • Janissaries: Christian converts who served as soldiers loyal to the Sultan.