socials finals notes
The black death
In October 1347, 12 Genoese galley ships sailed into the harbor at Messina, in Sicily, full of dying men. The sailors were suffering from a mysterious and terrifying disease that had turned their skin a dark purple, and swelled their tongues and their arms. The authorities ordered the ships to leave the harbor, but it was too late: people had already come into contact with the sailors. The disease spread to the city, and its fleeing inhabitants carried the disease to the rest of Sicily. The plague, known as the Black Death, had arrived in Europe.
The plague was a disease that first affected fleas, and was then passed on to rats. The rats acted as carriers, spreading death through the dirty towns and cities. The disease reached Italy, Spain, England, and France in 1348, and the following year it spread to Austria, Holland, Hungary, Switzerland, and Germany. By 1350, the Black Death had reached Scandinavia and the Baltic countries.
The flagellants:
Many regarded the plague as a punishment from God. They believed that doing penance in public would prevent them from getting the disease. Bands of people took to the streets, singing hymns and praying. They were called flagellants because they flagellated(whipped) themselves in public. The flagellants attacked any Jews they came across on their wanderings, accusing them of crucifying Christ and helping to invite the plague into Europe. In 1349, Pope Clement VI denounced them and ordered the authorities to stop them from wandering around towns and villages. The flagellants were not to be deterred, and hordes of them would gather every time an outbreak of the Black Death occurred.
The doctors of Europe, with no previous knowledge of the disease, tried in vain to cure it. Victims were told to wo wash their bodies with vinegar and water, and to stay in bed. The swellings were cut open in the hope that the disease would flow out. Poultices made from tree resin and lily roots were applied to the cuts. Some surgeons tried bloodletting.
Special plague medicines went on sale. One was made of ground eggshells, chopped marigold petals, and treacle boiled in ale, to be taken twice a day. Folk healers recommended drinking urine and holding a live hen against the swellings in a bid to draw the disease into the bird. Nothing worked. The majority of victims died within three days.
Whole towns and villages were wiped out. In the cities, normal life came to a stop. Authority vanished as priests, judges, and community leaders died or fled. Criminals were released from jail, as there was no one left to guard them. The dead were buried in great pits by farmers and former prisoners.
Between 1348 and 1351, 25 million people died of the plague in Europe, one-fourth of the population. In despair, many turned to God for help. Women whose husbands had died became nuns. Flagellants did penance on the streets. By 1400, there had been five more outbreaks of the disease, and the plague was to remain a recurrent fear until the 17th century.
By 1300 Europeans were farming almost all the land they could cultivate.
Climate changes in Europe produced three years of crop failures between 1315-1317 because of excessive rain.
As many as 15% of the peasants in some English villages died.
One consequence of starvation & poverty was weakness to disease.
Why would lancing a buboe be such a terrible idea?
the person in the splash zone would get infected
there was a high chance of infection
the tool would get infected and would be re-used on another person
5 stages of the disease cycle:
Flea drinks rat blood that carries the bacteria. The plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia Pestis
Bacteria multiply in the flea’s gut
The flea’s gut is clogged with bacteria
The flea bites the human and regurgitates blood into the human wound
The human is infected! Then plague is transmitted between animals and humans by the bite of infected flea, and between humans with direct contact with infected tissues and inhalation of infected respiratory droplets
Why were people obsessed with death during this time? How would religion have been affected?
Death was inevitable.
People thought that God turned against them
Religious figures run away
People don’t go to church
More of a farming community at this time, disease had less of a chance to spread compared to crowded cities.
Poland’s king was strong and well educated. He took a number of steps to help his country including:
He quarantined the whole area, insisting that anyone new entering the land had to be locked up for 3 days before being allowed entry. If they were sick, they would be dead in 3 days
As well, Poland had a weird superstition about cats. Many countries killed cats, dogs, and rats during the plague, thinking that any of these animals may be carrying the illness
But Poland kept almost all their cats alive, who took care of the flea-infested rats
Remember, these are just theories! Some historians dispute these claims, particularly as cats can catch the plague. But ultimately, Poland had far fewer plague cases compared to the rest of Europe
What were some of the symptoms of the plague?
bulging eyes
hallucinating/delirium
sneezing
skin turning black
coughing up blood
high fever
dehydration
dizziness
The mortality rate:
35-70% of the population of most countries
25-50 million dead
The Crusades
What was a crusade?
It was a long series of war largely fought between Christians and Muslims for control of Jerusalem(the holy land)
What does the word crusade mean?
It comes from the latin word crux which means cross
What were the three primary objectives of the Crusades?
Stop the expansion of Muslim states
Reclaim for Christianity the Holy land in the Middle-East
Recapture territories
Which classes fought?
Feudal lords, knights, and peasants
Who was the first to encourage them to take up arms? When was this?
Pope Urban II
November 27, 1095
What were his main reasons for fighting?
Urban appealed to the knight’s religious convictions
Urban said Muslim Turks were robbing and torturing Christian pilgrims who were journeying to the holy land
The war offered knights a chance for glory and wealth
What did Urban II want?
Re-establish safe access to the holy city of Jerusalem for the thousands of Christian pilgrims who travelled there each year
Bring an end to ongoing feudal warfare between Christians in Europe by turning them against the Muslims(a common enemy)
Increase the power and prestige of the Roman Catholic Church and solidify the power of the pope as the leader of al Christians
Causes of the Crusades:
Muslim turks captured Jerusalem from the Byzantine Empire(part of the Roman Empire)
Muslims stopped Christians from visiting the Holy land
Christian pilgrims were attacked
Byzantine Empire feared an attack on Constantinople(an important city of trade in Turkey, near Jerusalem)
Who were the Muslims?
Muhammad(their founder) was born in the city of Mecca in 570 CE
He founded a great religion and his followers were called Muslims. Some were warlike(like the Vikings)
Captured much of the land around the Mediterranean Sea
In 637 CE, the Muslims captured the city of Jerusalem
For a long time, the Muslims allowed Christians to visit Jerusalem on pilgrimages and many thousands made the journey from Europe
In 1071, a group of fanatical Turkish Muslims captured Jerusalem. They would not tolerate Christians and began to ill-treat them.
The First Crusade(1096-1099)
What happened to the peasant troops? And how many fought?
Many were killed by Muslim Turks.
30,000 peasants fought
What happened to the Knights? And how many fought?
They were more successful and succeeded in capturing Jerusalem.
10,000 knights fought
How long did it last?
3 years
What was the result of the First Crusade?
The Christians won
The Second Crusade(1147-1149)
Why was there a second crusade?
A band of Crusaders attacked Muslims on a pilgrimage to Mecca(Saudi Arabia). Saladin(king of Egypt + Syria) attacked Jerusalem, taking it back.
Which European countries sent troops?
France and Germany
Who led the Muslim troops?
Saladin
The Third Crusade(1189-1192)
Led by the King of England, Richard the Lionheart against Saladin(leader of the Turks during the second crusade)
Despite another brutal war, eventually both sides came to a truce.
England had regained some land.
The Muslims would maintain their land, and would allow Christians to enter Jerusalem, promising they would be unharmed.
The Fourth Crusade(1202-1204)
The merchants in Venice, Italy wanted to financially hurt the merchants in Constantinople, Turkey, because of rivalry over who could control trade
Crusaders were persuaded by these Venetian merchants to attack Constantinople but the war never made it to Jerusalem.
The 4th Crusade was motivated by greed rather than religion and hurt the image of the Catholic Church.
Altogether, there were seven crusades between 1096-1254(No later victories for the Christians).
There was even a Children’s crusade of 30,000 soldiers(Many of them under 12 years old).
They never made it to the Holy land and the majority of them starved to death, died of diseases, or were sold into slavery.
Is it accurate to say that religion was the primary cause of the Crusades?
The Spirit of the Renaissance
By definition:
Means “rebirth”
Rebirth of what? Culture, art, science, ideas and learning
Renaissance begins in the 1300s and ended in the 1700s
What brought about the Renaissance? The Black Plague and the Crusades
The Black Death:
Europe experiences a massive decline in population
Labor is hard to find
Towns and many serfs are freed from feudal obligations
The Church’s influence declined
Disrupts pattern of trade
Economic Effects of the Crusades:
Increased demand for Middle Eastern products
Stimulated production of goods to trade in Middle Eastern markets
Encouraged the use of credit(borrowing money) and banking.
Important Economic Concepts
Church rule against usury and the bank’s practice of charging interest helped to secularize northern Italy.
Letters of credit served to expand the supply of money and speed-up trade
New accounting and bookkeeping practices(use of Arabic numerals) were introduced.
The Renaissance was a very intense period of social history. Many things were happening, changing, and influencing life in Europe:
rise of towns and market economies
trade and travel due to the crusades
new information and rebirth of old information
failure of the old feudal system
new nation states with powerful kings
new power of the middle class
exploration of new parts of the world
many of these influences came together in the powerful and wealthy city-states of Italy
The combination of these new ideas is called the Renaissance
It was the rebirth of old classical Greek and Roman learning, plus new information that led to the spirit of Renaissance
The Spirit of the Renaissance characterized by:
individualtiy
independence
inquiry-curiosity-wanting to learn
sciences
art, architecture, music - new culture
secularism
humanism
wealth
civic responsibility
These values and talents when found in an individual were highly valued - these people were called renaissance men
Humanism
The study of humans and humanity
Celebrated the individual
Stimulated the study of Greek and Roman literature and culture
Was supported by wealthy patrons(people who supported artists and writers)
During Renaissance, people turn away from religion
Celebrates the here and now, don’t wait for the afterlife
People still believe in God
Religion just isn’t everything
The Scientific Revolution
Main Idea
New ways of thinking led to remarkable discoveries during the Scientific Revolution
Some Middle Ages scholars sought answers about the natural world from the church. In the mid-1500s, others began to think in new ways.
Dawn of Modern Science
The Old View
Scholars relied on traditional authorities for beliefs about structure of universe
Geocentric theory, Aristotle
Earth is the center of the universe
The sun, moon and planets revolved around Earth
Ideas upheld by church, accepted authority for European intellectuals
New Viewpoints - 1500s
Scientific Revolution, new way of thinking
Posed theories, developed procedures to test ideas
Why open to new ideas?
Exploration
New lands, new people, new animals
Dawn of Modern Science
Ancient Scholars could provide no information about new lands, people, animals
Age of Exploration led scientists to study natural world more closely
Other things to be discovered, things unknown to ancients
Navigators needed more accurate instruments, geographic knowledge
Scientists examined natural world, found it did not match ancient beliefs
Discoveries in Astronomy, Physics, and Math(Copernicus)
Copernicus
Polish astronomer
Found geocentric theory of movement of sun, moon, planets was not accurate
Concluded sun, not earth, near center of solar system
Heliocentric theory = earth revolves around sun
Copernicus’ theory
Idea of earth orbiting sun was not completely new
Copernicus developed detailed mathematical explanation of process
Was first scientist to create model of solar system
On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres
Knew church would oppose work
Work contradicted teachings of church: (Geocentric…earth and man are the center of life).
Johan Kepler’s Solution
Kepler solved main problem of Copernican theory
Copernicus assumed planets orbited in circle
Kepler found this untrue. He proved planets orbited in oval patter, ellipse
Proved heliocentric theory
More support
Italian scientist Galileo Galilei
Built first telescope used for astronomy
Scanned heavens beginning in 1609
Galileo described discoveries
Craters on moon, sunspots
Saturn, moons of Jupiter
Milky Way made up of stars
Change in science world
Isaac Newton, English scientist
Brought together astronomy, physics, math
Wondered about gravity, developed calculus
Science and Society
As science assumed greater significance, the question of the role of the Roman Catholic Church in a changing culture became important. While the church opposed the views of many scientists, it benefited from new discoveries that made Renaissance art and architecture possible
Science and the Church
The church feared reason as an enemy of faith, but eventually began to embrace some of the achievements of the Scientific Revolution
Conflicts
Church explained world through inspiration, revealed truth
Science explained world through logical reasoning
Galileo’s Theories
Brought him into direct conflict with the church
Church leaders pressured him not to support ideas of Copernicus
Trial
Pope Urban VII ordered Galileo to Rome to stand trial before Inquisition
Church wanted to stamp out heresy, or dissenting views
Trial held, April 1633
House Arrest
Galileo stated would not use Copernican theory in work
Received lenient sentence in return
Pope ordered Galileo under house arrest, where he spent rest of life
The Medicis
Pre-Medici Florence
Territory
At the end of the 14th century, Florence was ruled by wealthy business owners
Pisa’s ports made the Republic of Florence a sea power and major economic power of the West
Economy
Banking was a major source of power and income, and the Florentine gold coin, the florin, was so reliable that it was the standard coinage in Europe
Much of Florence’s wealth was dependent on the manufacture and trade of cloth, primarily wool.
Ruling Families
Florence was controlled by the Albizzi and Pazzi families until about 1438
The Albizzi family had controlled the republican government for two generation, but they led a lot of costly wars, so the people of Florence switched allegiances to the Medici family
The Pazzi family were wealthy bankers that were in a semi-friendly competition with the Medici family
Beginnings of Medici Power
Giovanni de Medici
First of the famous ruling Medici’s and considered founder of the Medici family fortune
Giovanni died in 1429 and his son Cosimo became head of the Medici family
Family Tree - in case confused
Giovanni had a son named Cosimo who had a grandson named Lorenzo
Lorenzo named his second son Giovanni who became Pope Leo X
Fall of Cosimo de’Medici
In September 1433, Cosimo was arrested in Florence on charges of plotting to overthrow the government, and was imprisoned in a tiny dungeon
While in jail, Cosimo quietly bribed enough members of the local government to reduce his sentence to a banishment for five years
Cosimo then went to Padua and soon moved on to Venice, where he and his money were warmly received. He head taken his bank with him and the effect on the economy of Florence was so severe, that the banishment was cancelled and Cosimo returned to Florence in 1434.
He then had his opponents banished, and made sure that they never returned to Florence
Lorenzo de’Medici
Grandson of Cosimo, known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, considered to be the most brilliant of the Medicis
Lorenzo is considered to be the greatest patron of the arts
Comissioned such artists and musicians as Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Verrocchio
Reasons for this patronage included genuine interest, continuing family tradition, and political motives
End of the Pazzi Family Line
During Lorenzo’s rule, the Medici family was still in a semi-friendly rivalry with another banking family, the Pazzi family
Until… April 26, 1478, when the Pazzi family tried to assassinate Lorenzo de Medici and his brother during mass at the Cathedral of Florence, in an attempt to end the Medici’s powerful reign and influence over Florence.
Lorenzo’s younger brother Giuliano was killed, but Lorenzo was able to defend himself and escaped only slightly wounded.
After the attack on the family, there were other conspirators who tried to gain control of the government, but the people of Florence rallied to the Medici family and pledged their loyalty
The conspirators were ruthlessly pursued and many(including the archbishop of Pisa, who were allied with the Pazzi family) were killed on the spot.
The Pazzi family members that survived the violence in the streets of Florence werer banished from the city, and their lands and property confiscated. Their name and their coat of arms were suppressed, and all buildings and streets carrying the Pazzi name were renamed.
The Medici Legacy
The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in Florence in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries of rule and influence
In total, the Medici family also produced four popes(Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leo XI), and their genes have been mixed into many of Europe’s royal families.
The Medici’s First Major Fall from Power
Girolamo Savonarola was a preacher who settled in Florence in 1489
He attacked the tyranny of the Medici family in his sermons, and when Charles VIII of France invaded Italy in 1494, the Medici’s lost power until around 1512
Savonarola also encouraged “bonfires of the vanities” in February, 1497
This referred to the burning of thousands of objects condemned by religious authorities as sinful
Items burned in the public square of Florence included: mirrors, cosmetics, art, expensive clothing, jewelry and books
Savonarola then took control of the government, putting Florence under extremely rigid and religious control
Eventually, Savonarola’s followers turned on him, and he was killed.
Medici Legacy
The Medici’s were on of the wealthiest families in history. However, many members of the family were corrupt and violent, used to getting their own way
They made many enemies and almost the entire family was eventually kicked out(exiled) from Florence.
The Printing Press
Before the age of printing all books were copied out by hand. This was not only a long and expensive process, but it also meant that every book was different. The more times a book was copied, the more mistakes were made.
For centuries, the Chinese had been printing using carved wooden blocks but the idea of moving individual letters around to create various pages of text was revolutionary. In the middle of the 15th century, Johannes Gutenberg, of Mainz in Germany, introduced movable print to Europe. The metal letters were arranged in trays to make up the words and lines of text, inked and put on the press. Although it might take 50,000 separate pieces of type to create a large book, such as the bible, once set it could be reproduce thousands of times. At the same time, expensive parchment was being replaced by paper, which could be made more cheaply from linen rags. This, together with the new printing process, made the mass production of relatively cheap books possible for the first time.
The effects were dramatic: reliable maps could be printed for explorers, musicians could reproduce their work for others, and scholars could spread their new ideas. The great religious revolution of the early 16th century, the Reformation, was only possible because ordinary people could now buy their own Bible and read the Scriptures for themselves.
William Caxton published the first book in English in 1474 from Bruges in Belgium. He later set up a press in Westminster where he printed more than 90 titles including Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The age of printing had begun — the printed word would soon prove to be one of the most powerful forces in history.
What’s wrong with written?
It’s very time consuming and many mistakes can be made. It is also expensive and the production is low. There are a lot of materials needed and everything needs to be perfect. It also causes a lot of health issues in the wrist and causes eye strain. Not only that but if one mistake is made and that book is caused, then the rest of the books would have mistakes too.
How would this have benefited society?
It made books cheaper to buy and make. There were also more copies available. It gave people access to the bible at their home. It also caused more people to become literate as they began to have newspapers and cookbooks and music.
How could it improve the economy?
It made everything a lot cheaper and more affordable. It also gave authors more opportunities, and gave others more job opportunities in general like book-binding.
Pros and Cons:
Cons:
still time-consuming
smaller print
Pros:
less mistakes are made
more accessible to people
increased literacy
bible reached more people
informative → spread gossip
The Reformation
The Reformation was a massive revolution in the Catholic Church in Europe.
In the 1400s and 1500s many people broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and formed their own new churches to protest what was happening
taxes - the church was collecting taxes whenever it wanted, seemed not to care if people could pay
simony - the church would sell church positions and the person would collect wages even if they didn’t do their job
nepotism - the practice of giving jobs to relatives instead of qualified people was common
church scandals - many popes and priests were having illegitimate children
indulgences - paying a priest to forgive your sin
predestination - the belief that the fate of every person’s soul was decided long ago by God
free will - the belief that man’s fate is not decided and that he has the power to choose
Martin Luther
The man who started the Reformation
Wrote the Ninety-Five Thesis, a list of 95 arguments against Church practices
October 31, 1517, he nailed this list to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany
Luther believed in predestination and that faith in God was enough to admit one to heaven and that obeying and paying the Church didn’t matter
Protestantism grew from this
Because of the idea of a personal relationship with God, people like Luther wanted the Bible translated into everyday languages(it was in latin) so that people could read it and not have to rely on priests for an interpretation
the printing press made this possible
these new ideas made being able to read important if one wanted to reach heave, making education important to everyone
Protestantism spread quickly
Since the different Protestant groups had not official church, they interpreted the Bible the way they wanted to, creating many very different churches in Europ
The Catholic Church’s response? The counter-reformation
The Counter-Reformation
Matin Luther cont’d…
1520 → Pope Leo excommunicated Luther
Some kings tried to block his writings
Lutheran princes in Germany issued a protest supporting Luther → hence the name Protestant
Catholic Reaction
did not accept protestant actions
called for the Council of Trent(1545-1563)
a series of meetings with the Pope and bishops to discuss Protestantism
What did the Council do?
confirmed the Church’s beliefs and actions
only the Church, and not an individual could interpret the bible
officially named all 7 sacraments
noted that Christ was 100% in the eucharist(Luther didn’t believe)
And indulgences?
still sold for forgiveness of sins, but considered a sin if any priests profited from them
outlawed by the next Pope
Inquisition
for 100s of years, the Church had used a court system to stop heresy
this organization now had more power to question torture and kill “enemies” of the church
resulted in violent wars and tension between Catholics and Protestants
St. Bartholomew’s day Massacre(Aug 1572)
french protestants were targeted in Paris by a violent Catholic mob
the French’s king’s sister(a catholic) was set to marry a Protestant prince → many wealthy people in the city
“mini war” lasted for weeks and spread out
How many died?
5000-30000 Protestants
Renaissance Exploration and Beyond
The continent of North America is named after what Italian explorer?
Amerigo Vespucci
What does “circumnavigate” mean?
To sail or travel all the way around the world
Who was the 1st European explorer to sail west to east around the Cape of Good Hope?
Bartholomew Dias
What country was he from?
Portugal
Where is the Cape of Good Hope?
South Africa
What happened to the crew of the ship of the HMS Terror?
The ships were trapped in ice near King William Island in 1846. Everyone died from all sorts of different things like scurvy, exposure to cold, starvation and lead poisoning.
What were they trying to do on their journey?
They were looking for the Northwest Passage
Which early explorer visited both Cuba and Mexico during his expeditions?
Hernán Cortés
What is an astrolabe? It helped sailors determine their latitude by measuring the altitude of celestial objects.
What is a compass? It helps determine directions
What is a caravel?
It was a small sailing ship, either Spanish or Portuguese, used in the 15-17th century
Many sailors on long sea voyages got a disease called scurvy
Explain what caused this disease
It was caused by a deficiency of vitamin C
What were the physical symptoms?
Fatigue, joint pain, bleeding gums, anemia, weakness, easy bruising and more
What could sailors do to prevent scurvy?
They could consume fruits or foods rich with vitamin C. Ex. Citrus fruits
Silk Trade Routes
The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes, formally established during the Han Dynasty of China, which linked the regions of the ancient world in commerce between 130 BCE-1453 CE. As the Silk Road was not a single thoroughfare from east to west, the term “Silk Routes” has become increasingly favoured by historians, though “Silk Road” is the more common and recognized name.
Goods that were traded from West to East:
horses
saddles and riding tack
the grapevine and grapes
dogs and other animals both exotic and domestic
animal furs and skins
honey
fruits
glassware
woolen blankets, rugs, carpets
textiles(such as curtains)
gold and silver
camels
slaves
weapons and armor
Goods that were traded from East to West:
silk
tea
dyes
precious stones
china(plates, bowls, cups, vases)
porcelain
spices(such as cinnamon and ginger)
bronze and gold artifacts
medicine
perfumes
ivory
Over time, trade along the Silk Road began to crumble, and this initiated the Age of Discovery(1453-1660 CE) which would be defined by European explorers taking to the sea and charting new water routes to replace over-land trade. The Age of Discovery would impact cultures around the world as European ships claimed some lands for their country and proved that trade through waterways was faster than trade over land.
Indian Ocean Trade
The Indian Ocean Trade began with small trading settlements around 800 AD., and declined in the 1500s when Portugal invaded and tried to run the trade for its own profit.
As trade intensified between Africa and Asia, prosperous city-states flourished along the eastern coast of Africa. The city-states traded with inland kingdoms like Great Zimbabwe to obtain gold, ivory and iron. These materials were then sold to places like India, Southeast Asia and China. These were Africa’s exports in the Indian Ocean Trade. These items could be sold at a profit because they were scarce in Asian countries.
At the same time, the East African city-states were buying items from Asia. Many residents of the city-states were willing to pay high prices for cotton, silk and porcelain objects. These items were expensive because they were not available in Africa at the time. These were Africa’s imports in the Indian Ocean Trade.
The city states along the eastern coast of Africa made ideal centers of trade. An important attraction was the gold obtained from inland kingdoms. The gold was needed mainly for coins, although it was also used for works of art, ornamentation on buildings, and jewelry. Also, the city-states were easy to reach from Asia by ship because of the favourable wind and ocean currents. Ships had no trouble docking at the excellent ports and harbors located on the coasts of these African city-states, making it easy to unload and load cargo. Merchants, tired after their long overseas journey, enjoyed the lodging and entertainment offered by the port cities. Finally, East Africa was a fairly peaceful region, and the few conflicts that did occur were small and brief. All of these factors created an ideal setting for import-export companies to conduct business.
Although the city-states were famous throughout Africa and Asia,, no European countries knew of them. You can imagine the surprise, then, of Portuguese captain Vasco da Gama when in 1498 he came upon bustling port cities such as Sofala Kilwa Mombasa, and Malindi as he sailed up the eastern coast of Africa. He and his crew were welcomed by most of the cities they visited, although neither his ships nor the European items they attempted to trade were of much interest in the East African city-states.
Da Gama’s mission was to find a route to Asia by sailing from Portugal, around Africa, then on to India. European countries had been buying Asian goods for years through other, more difficult routes. But now the countries of Europe had begun looking for faster, cheaper routes to Asia. Vasco da Gama did eventually reach India with the help of a navigator from Malindi named Majid.
in 1499, da Gama returned to Portugal and told the king and queen, who had sponsored his voyage, everything that he’d seen, including the shiploads of gold, ivory, porcelain, silk and cotton being bought and sold in the port cities along the eastern coast of Africa.
The Portuguese government took immediate interest. They sent more ships to the eastern coast of Africa with three goals: to take anything of value they could find, to force the kings of the city to pay taxes to Portuguese tax collectors, and to gain control over the entire Indian Ocean trade. The city-states had never needed forts or huge armies, and they were unprepared for the Portuguese attacks. One-by-one, the Portuguese captured the port cities, then wrecked, looted, and burned them to the ground. The residents of the cities who were unable to escape were killed. Shiploads of priceless goods were sent back to Portugal. However, the Portuguese attempt to take over and run the Indian Ocean trade was a failure.
The Age of Exploration
Conquistadors
After Columbus’ success, Spain was eager to continue exploring
A new group of explorers named Conquistadors(spanish for conquerors) emerged during this period → Spanish conquerors/explorers who sailed to the Americas to obtain gold, silver, and other treasures.
Historians have come to describe Cortés as:
intelligent, crafty and deceptive, ruthless, violent and lucky
Following the rumour that the Valley of Mexico had enormous wealth(especially cities of gold), Cortes decided to land on the Coast and make his way to the city of Tenochtitlan(modern day Mexico City)
Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan was under the rule of the highly advanced Aztec empire, who were known to be fierce and brutal warriors, and who practiced human sacrifices to appease their gods (sometimes thousands of victims at a time).
Aztec cities were larger and more beautiful than anything the conquistadors had seen before.
The Aztec population was about 25 million, with roughly 350,000 people living in Tenochtitlan(the captial)
Sacrifices
Why make sacrifices?
To honour God
Shows physical devotion
To reverse bad luck
To thank them
According to Aztec cosmology, the sun god Huitzilopochtli was waging a constant war against darkness, and if darkness won, the world would end.
To keep the sun moving across the sky and preserve life, the Aztecs had to feed Huitzilopochtli with human hearts and blood.
Large and small human sacrifices would be made throughout the year to coincide with important calendar dates, or to dedicate temples, or to reverse drought and famine
Human sacrifice also served another purpose: intimidation
The ritual killing of war captives and the large-scale displaying of skulls were reminders of the strength of the empire and the extent of its dominion
Also, many captured soldiers, slaves and Aztec citizens went willingly to the sacrificial altar. To give your heart to Huitzilopochtli was a tremendous honour and a guaranteed ticked to a blessed afterlife fighting in the sun god’s army.
Montezuma and the Aztecs
The last king of the Aztec Empire, Montezuma, was known for being very superstitious, always waiting for “signs” from the gods on how he should act.
There was also a large amount of “in-fighting” at this time between Montezuma’s council and his noblemen.
Montezuma lived in a palace with 100 rooms, 100 baths, walls of marble and rare stone, and courtyards filled with singing birds, flowers and fountains
He built the capital of the Empire on a Man-made island in the middle of Lake Texcoco.
In 1519 Cortes landed on the coast of Mexico with:
In 1519, Cortes landed on the coast of Mexico with: aprox. 500 men, 16 horses, 14 cannons, some crossbows and guns
As soon as he landed on shore, Cortes burned all his ships, so that his crew couldn’t change their minds and try to go home or overthrow him.
He made the long trek from Veracruz on the Gulf Coast to the island city of Tenochtitlan(located in the Valley of Mexico)
Cortes’ Advantages over the millions of Indians?
Guns
Horses
Disease
Luck
Cortes’ Mexican translator, Malinche, helped him immensely
The Aztec king, Montezuma, was impressionable and Cortes learnt the Aztec story(from Malinche) about the “white god” Quetzalcoatl.
Malinche would later become Cortes’s mistress and would give him a son
Aztec prophets had said that Quetzalcoatl, a white, bearded god, would come from the waters of the east to take back the land that was his. Guess which year they predicted his return?
The same year Cortes and his men arrived…therefore, some historians speculate that Montezuma believed these men to be gods. Other historians think that this was a myth created by the Spanish explorers to paint Montezuma as a weak ruler.
Gods or not, Montezuma welcomed the men to his capital city, where he offered them precious jewels and gold…exactly what Cortes was looking for!
Then Montezuma was promptly taken prisoner. Cortes believed that the Aztecs would not attack him as long as he held him captive.
Montezuma offered large amounts of gold to the conquistadors in order to secure his release
Fall of the Aztecs
Montezuma would die shortly after(in 1520) during a skirmish between Spanish forces and residents of Tenochtitlan. Historical documents from Cortes and his men say that Montezuma was stoned to death by his own people for being a traitor. However, the Aztecs declared that it was the Spanish who had killed Montezuma.
Why would there be two different accounts of Montezuma’s death?
After Montezuma’s death, a huge war breaks out between the Aztecs and the Spaniards. Cortes and his men are at first driven out of the city, but they make alliances with several rival Mexican tribes.
Cortes would eventually wear down the Aztecs in a long and bloody siege during which some Spanish prisoners were sacrificed in front of their countrymen.
Roughly 240,000 Aztecs would die and the battle would last for four months.
Cortes then went on to burn Tenochtitlan to the ground, fill in the lake, build a Catholic Church on the place where the Templo Mayor once stood, and proclaim Tenochtitlan a Spanish possession.
Guns and Germs
Cortes and his men unknowingly brought the disease smallpox into Mexico, which the Aztecs had no tolerance against.
Within a year, 3,5 million Aztecs had died, and 80% of the Aztec population would eventually die.
Within eighty years, roughly 20 million would die because of war, slavery, disease and famine
Cortes became the first Governor of Mexico
He had wealth, titles, and land but few people wanted to be known as his friend.
He died in 1547 in Spain relatively forgotten and living near poverty.
He asked for his bones to be buried in Mexico.
Surprisingly, they were, although the whereabouts of his first grave were hidden for more than a century.
Transatlantic Slave Trade
Why were slaves originally brought to the Americas?
They were brought to Americas to do hard labour. There were also not enough slaves to do all the hard labour(All the indigenous slaves died from illness, ran away or fought back)
Some things I learned
They cut off their ears as proof of purpose
They were branded
They had to dance to stay exercised
They killed themselves on the ships because they thought if they died then their souls would return home
African chiefs sold their own people
Roughly how many slaves were shipped to Americas during this period?
At least 10 million
Which country received the most slaves?
Brazil
What three items were shipped to Europe from the Americas?
Cotton, sugar, tobacco
What two items did Europe send to Africa?
iron bars, guns
How many slaves generally died on the journey to the Americas?
1 out of 4 slaves died from disease or suicide