Chapter 14: Europe and the World: New Encounters, 1500-1800

Focus Questions (Page 2)

• Motives for European Expansion

  • Why did Europeans begin voyages of discovery?

• Overseas Empires

  • How did Portugal and Spain acquire their empires, and how did they differ?

• Impact of New Rivals

  • Effects of the Dutch, British, and French on Africa, Southeast Asia, India, China, and Japan.

• African Slave Trade

  • Main features and effects on Africa.

• Mercantilism

  • Definition and relationship to colonial empires.

On the Brink of a New World (Page 4)

• Motives for Expansion

  • Desire for fantastic lands and economic gain.

  • Religious zeal to spread Christianity.

• Means for Expansion

  • Advances in maps, ships, and navigational aids (compass, astrolabe).

New Horizons: The Portuguese and Spanish Empires (Page 7)

• Portuguese Maritime Empire

  • Key figures: Prince Henry the Navigator, Bartholomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama.

  • Establishment of commercial-military bases in India.

• Spanish Empire

  • Christopher Columbus's voyages and the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494).

The Spanish Empire in the New World (Pages 17-20)

• Conquistadors' Role

  • Motivated by "God, Glory, and Gold."

• Civilizations Conquered

  • The Maya and Aztec empires.

  • Spanish conquests led by Hernan Cortés and Francisco Pizarro.

• Administration

  • Establishment of urban cities and the encomienda system.

Africa: The Slave Trade (Pages 25-26)

• Origins and Growth

  • Driven by demand for cane sugar and plantations.

  • Triangular trade led to the transportation of up to 10 million African slaves.

• Effects on Africa

  • Increased warfare and economic decline due to the slave trade.

The West in Southeast Asia (Page 29)

• European Rivalries

  • Portugal's limitations and the rise of Dutch and English power.

  • Importance of the Spice Islands.

China & Japan (Pages 35-36)

• China

  • Ming and Qing dynasties faced European pressures.

• Japan

  • Initial openness to trade followed by expulsion of missionaries and merchants.

The Americas (Pages 39-42)

• Colonial Developments

  • British and French sugar plantations in the West Indies.

  • Establishment of Jamestown and Quebec.

• Economic Impact

  • Sugar became a valuable commodity, replacing honey.

The Impact of European Expansion (Pages 44-45)

• Effects on the Conquered

  • Devastating impacts on local populations in the Americas and Africa.

  • Creation of multiracial societies in Latin America.

• Effects on the Conquerors

  • Economic benefits from gold and silver.

  • Introduction of new plants and animals (Columbian Exchange).

Toward a World Economy (Pages 49-50)

• Economic Changes

  • Growth of commercial capitalism and joint-stock companies.

  • Mercantilism as a driving economic theory.

Chapter Timeline (Page 51)

• Key events from 1450 to 1800, including major explorations and conquests.

Discussion Questions (Page 52)

• Why were Western European nations well-positioned for exploration?

• How did the Spanish defeat the Aztecs?

• What drove the slave trade?

• How did the British achieve dominance in Asia?

• What were the impacts of colonization on the colonized?

• What economic changes occurred in Europe due to mercantilism and capitalism?