Maritime empires transformed trade to a huge large scale… joint stock companies were developed in which investors financed trade by buying shares in corporations, empires began to support increased trade in Asia, new trade routes, extended global economy…Atlantic salve trade which brought forth the mixing of African, American , and European cultures

Economic Strategies→European wealth was measured in how much gold and silver they had. To keep wealth, they spent little as possible, Capital wealth grew as entrepreneurs entered long distance trade

Commercial Revolution→transformation to trade-based economy using gold and silver. Resulted from 4 key factors

• development of European overseas colonies

• opening of new trade routes

• population growth

• inflation…partly by the pressure of the increasing population and partly by the increased amount of gold and silver that was mined and put in circulation. (Price Revolution

Joint-stock companies→ owned by investors who brought stocks or shares in them. Investment was made safer by offering limited liability( a principle that an investor was not responsible for a company debts.

Europeans middle class invested money from successful businesses and developed joint stock companies. Spain and Portugal had the gov. do most of the investing through grants to certain explorers. Joint stock companies allowed for ventures to colonize and develop the resourced of distant lands with limited risk to investors.

Commerce and Finance→ The Dutch were faster and lighter than those of their rivals and had an early trade advantage, they had a very successful joint-stock company with good profits in spice islands and SE asia. Standard of living was the highest . France and England had bad luck…endured financial schemes/bubbles (sale of shares were promised to an investor, lots of buying which drove up price of shares, and investors lost a lot of money which let to bankruptcy and damage to economy.

Triangular Trade→ Europe carries manufactured good to west Africa, then from there transport enslaved Africans to Americans and load up with sugar or tobacco to Europe. Slave raids such as Dahomey an Oyo got rich from selling captives and got firearms. Inter group warfare became more common

Slave and Gender→ most affected by slave trade was Ghana and Benin. This brought population imbalance and rise in polygyny( the taking of more than one wife). Women took more men responsibilities

Impact of New foods→Through the Colombian Exchange, Americans were introdcued new crops, maize, peanuts, manioc(also known as yucca or cassava) which became staples in the African diet..

Political and Cultural Changes for Indigenous Peoples

Land=based empires all learned how to deal with conquered people’s traditions and cultures. They allowed traditions to exist or tried to merge it with their ways onto subjects. However, the Spanish and Portuguese erased the basic social structures and many of the cultural traditions of the indigenous

Political Changes: Colonial Administration

Indigenous structures were soon replaced by Spanish and Portuguese administrations. Spanish royalty appointed viceroys to act as administrators of the crown. Spain established audiencias/royal courts in which Spanish settlers could appeal viceroy’s decisions or policies. The Spanish throne did not focus on colonial affairs in the western hemisphere because transportation and communication networks were slow.

Cultural Changes→ The indigenous peoples of the Americas lost a lot of their culture to conquerors…their native books were burned (Aztec documents burned and information written by conquerors. The Spanish and Portuguese transplanted their own languages into the Americas. Spanish in most of Latin America and Portuguese in Brazil.

Effects of Belief Systems→

African religions were evident of syncretismin which their beliefs and practices were melded with some aspects of Christianity (RCC) such as drumming, dancing, and a belief in spirits could take over a person.

Santeria→”the way of the saints”…this faith traveled through Latin America and to North America

Vodun→ spirit/deity which originate in Haiti

Candomble→ dance to honor Gods…developed in Brazil

Islam→ some of the enslaved practiced Islam and brought it to the America’s

Religion in Latin America→ Catholic religious orders were sent to Latin America to convert people to Christianity. These missionaries were successful..most in Latin America are RC Christians.

Virgin of Guadalupe→cult developed in Mexico… she who was revered for her ability to perform miracles.