AP World Unit 4 Review

All about the development and expansion of maritime empires.

Europe became an imperial power after not being as powerful as most other empires of the previous time period. How did they achieve that?

    1. Advancement of (maritime) technologies

        -New kinds of ships (such as the fluyt, caravel, and carraik): they were merchant ships which were smaller, faster, and much cheaper to build and much nimbler on the seas.

           >Made possible by the harnessing of the use of the lateen sail which was a triangular sail that enabled sailors to harness wind on both sides of the boat.

           >Improved astronomical charts- enabled sailors to reckon their positions on the seas

           >Astrolabe and Magnetic Compass- made it possible to pinpoint a ship’s exact location as it sailed

With these new maritime technologies, Europeans were able to venture into the Atlantic Ocean to find a sea route to Asia since Muslims controlled most of the land-based trade routes, making it impossible for Europeans to establish trade on their own terms.

    -While traveling west through the Atlantic Ocean, Europeans, namely Christopher Columbus, “discovered” the Americas. He landed in the Caribbean Islands and this eventually sparked a massive global change called the Colombian Exchange.

Colombian Exchange

    -Biological exchange of animals, people, food, and disease between eastern and western hemispheres.

    -Exchange of disease- Europeans brought (ex.) smallpox to the Americas (which killed nearly 50-90% of the native population). The native Americans spread syphilis to the Europeans.

    -Europe introduced sugar and horses while the Americas sent potatoes, maize (corn), and guinea pigs.

Coerced Labor Systems in the Americas

    -The Encomienda System- Spanish conquistadors were tasked with protecting a group of native, who in return were forced to work in their lands.

    -Hacienda- Spanish landowners turned their encomiendas, or land grants, into huge plantations where natives did the work.

    -Mit’a System- Adopted from the Incas, the Spanish coerced men to labor for them for a certain amount of time (in purpose of personal gain).

    -Indentured Servitude- Used by the British where servants were only bound to work for 7 years.

        >Since each of these posed their own issues for those trying to force this labor, Chattel Slavery was a fix they used. They were enslaved people from Africa who were known as chattel (property) slavery. These slaves were property for life and were “better” as they were less susceptible to dying to European diseases.

Mercantilism- a dominant economic system in which it promotes the mindset where there is only a fixed amount of wealth (gold and silver) in the world.

    -Colonies were used around the world to provide raw materials to a mother country so they increase their amount of exports. COLONIES SOLE PURPOSE WAS TO SERVE THE MOTHER COUNTRY.

    -The Portuguese were the first to establish an empire for the sake of trade. They set up a trading post empire along the African coast, which led them to becoming a major player in the Indian Ocean trade network.

Joint-Stock Companies- Way to fund exploration among private investors who share the financial burden of the exploration among themselves.

Social Changes (in the Americas)

    -(new social hierarchy) The Casta System- which was a way of organizing society based on ancestry and race

The order went:

  1. Peninsulares

  2. Criolles

  3. Castas

  4. Mestizos

  5. Mulattoes

  6. Zambos

  7. indigenous

  8. Africans