4.5 Maritime Empires Maintained

capital- the cultural, and population center of a country or state

commercial revolution- a great increase in commerce in Europe that began in the late Middle Ages

joint stock company- a business owned by its investors, with each investor owning a share of the company based on the investment

triangular trade- a system of transatlantic trade in the 16th century between europe, africa and the americas 

monopoly- an enterprise that is the only seller of a good or service 

dahomey- a west african kingdom located in present day benin

viceroy- the governor of a country or a province who rules as the representative of a king or sovereign

vodun-a african traditional religion 

our lady of guadalupe- when the mother of jesus appeared to a man named juan diego

manila galleons-capital of the spanish philippines and a major multicultural trade city

Economic

• transformation to a trade-based economy using gold/silver (called commercial revolution)

• joint stock companies (ex. dutch east india co.) help develop empires as they set the groundwork for colonies

• triangular trade develops between europe, west africa, and americas

• european rulers gain control of new monopolies (ex. over cash crops like tobacco)

• global trade increases

• some african societies, like dahomey, become wealthier, and more powerful due to trade with europe for guns

political 

• spain uses viceroys and audiencias to govern americas 

cultural

• a lot of early culture in americas is lost

• new social group emerge (creoles in americas)

• syncretism in beliefs in americas due to slave trade

                  - religions like santeria, vodun, candombie mix traditions from africa and parts of americas 

                  - islam brought to americas because many africans were also muslim

social

• in africa: less men means more women, so polygymy develops. this also allows women to do some jobs traditionally seen as ‘male

• in americas (via spain): new social hierarchy based on race and ethnicity, called the casta system, organized like so:

  - peninsulares (spanish/porrtuguese born on iberian peninsula)

  - criolles (Born in americas of european ancestry)

  - castas (those of mixed races)

            - mestizo (european + indigenous)

            - mulatto (european + african)
            - zambo (indigenous + african)

  - then at the bottom were the indigenous people and enslaved africans