World History-Grade 10-Unit 6

What did the Ming hope to accomplish with their ocean expeditions?

To overwhelm foreign peoples and convince them of the Ming power.

Other than a sexually transmitted disease, what was the one "gift" the New World gave to the Old World?

Tobacco

Give some examples of myths about Christopher Columbus that John Green explains away.

-Christopher Columbus knew the earth was round, he was just wrong about its size -Columbus never thought he made it to China -Columbus was not a lucky idiot, he was smart and was able to navigate the waters using speed, direction, and time using an hourglass

Why was the tribute system used?

Because all people benefitted from it, with both peace and trade assured.

Approximately how many African people were forced to move from Africa to the Americas as slaves?

10-12 million people

How much silver came out of Spanish mines in the Americas from roughly the 1500's to the 1700's?

150,000 tons of silver

What was the life expectancy for Brazilian plantation slaves in the 1700's?

23 Years

How many slaves could a large slave ship hold, and what was the average space per person?

400 people at it's max, 4 square feet; less than a coffin

We still grow corn today in the U.S. What is a majority of it used for, at least as of 2005?

Animal Feed

How did the way taxes were paid in the Ming Dynasty change over time?

As silver became more common in the Empire, they changed their policy and required taxes to be paid in silver.

How large was the Inca population when the Spanish arrived in 1532?

Between 4-6 million people.

It is noted that Zheng He wasn't an explorer but a mariner whose journeys were trade missions. Why was it important for China to invest in trade missions?

China had everything they needed, they used trade to show their leadership and dominance to the rest of the world.

Approximately how many Native Americans died from exposure to European diseases brought to the Americas through the Columbian Exchange?

Definitely more than 50% and some scholars estimate 90%.

What key things occurred that caused the Spanish defeat?

English fleet was faster and had more long-range cannons The tide brought the English near to the Spanish so they wouldn't miss The English had the advantage of wind in their favor The English ships followed after the fleeing Spanish ships The storm took away the remaining Spanish ships that had given up their anchors earlier in the fight

Which voyage was the largest in terms of number of ships used? Least?

First expedition (317 ships), Sixth expedition (41 ships).

Briefly describe the three legs of a slave ship's voyage.

First leg carried cargo that included iron, cloth, brandy, firearms, and gunpowder. This cargo would then be traded for Africans. The second leg would take the ship full of Africans to the Americas and the slaves would be traded for sugar, tobacco, or other products. Then finally the ship would be brought back to Europe.

How were taxes paid during the early part of the Chinese Ming Dynasty?

Goods, mainly grain, and labor

How does Equiano initially describe the white men on the ships? What did he fear?

He describes their long hair, odd complexion that was so much unlike his, and odd language. He feared that they would kill him and eat him.

Describe Equiano's experience once he was taken under the ship's deck.

He received such a salutation in his nostrils that, when coupled with the tears shared with other slaves, led him to be so sick and low that he couldn't eat and couldn't taste anything.

What was Equiano's impression of his captors?

He though they acted in such a savage manner and showed more brutal cruelty than he had ever seen. He feared of getting into trouble if he tried to go overboard.

How did Zheng He come to be chosen as the leader of these ocean voyages?

He was a talented court eunuch, He was burly, imposing, large, and had been trained in both literary and military ways. He was talented and intelligent and made his way up the military ladder with ease.

List several things that happened because of the Columbian Exchange.

It Homogenized the landscape of the world, the variation of species decreased greatly

List several advantages Portugal had for sailing.

It had a fair bit of coastline, it was relatively resource-poor so it relied on trade to grow, and Muslims were dominant in the Iberian peninsula.

What is unique about the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan? (focus on where/how it was built)

It was built on modern day Mexico City, which was similar to Venice with it's roads of water. They also had floating gardens called chinampas which provided food for the city.

What technologies allowed China to do well with navigation at sea?

Magnetic compasses, printed manuals with star charts and compass bearings.

Why would South American natives hurt their children in a way that made physically difficult for them to do work?

Mercury poison was common among miners so parents would maim their kids to prevent them from being able to work in the mines.

How did Portugal influence trade upon reaching the Indian Ocean?

They would capture other ships and force them to purchase a permit to trade called a cartaz, without a cartaz merchants couldn't trade in any areas that Portugal owned.

Why do you think the ocean voyages were halted, and what were some of the implications of that decision?

Natural disasters, severe famines, epidemics, lightning strikes, flooding, non-payment of taxes from the wealthy

What part of the Columbian Exchange had, possibly, the biggest impact on the world?

New World Plants

Identify three animals brought from the Old World to the Americas that John Green suggests were revolutionary.

Pigs, Cows, and Horses.

How many Africans were sold into slavery? Of those, how many survived the journey?

Roughly 20 million, half of those didn't complete the journey

Where did he travel when exploring overseas?

Southeast Asia, and then to India and East Africa

During this portion of his autobiography, what was Equiano's primary emotion?

Terror

What is one of the biggest misconceptions about the Atlantic slave trade? What was actually true?

That Europeans somehow captured Africans, put them in chains, stuffed them on boats, and then shipped them to the Americas. What actually happened was Europeans couldn't have captured Africans because their empires were much too powerful for Europeans to conquer, rather they traded for slaves.

What occurred between the English and the Spanish in 1588?

The Spanish Armada

Describe conditions aboard the slave ships.

The conditions aboard the ships are cramped and their living quarters was often a deck within the ship that had less than five feet of head room. 300-400 people would be packed into a tiny area with little ventilation and sometimes not even enough space to place human waste buckets.

What two beliefs (or ideas) were vital to the Atlantic slave trade being able to work as it did?

The idea that slavery could be hereditary, if you had children they would become slaves as well. Also, that slavery was based off of human sin, you served your time as a slave because of the sin you committed.

What was the first thing that Equiano saw when he arrived at the African coast? What was his reaction?

The sea and a slave ship, He was filled with astonishment which soon converted to terror when he was carried aboard.

Describe the magnitude of the expeditions; how many ships, people, etc.?

These expeditions were done with hundreds of huge ships and tens of thousands of sailors and other passengers. The size of these ships were unlike anything the world had ever seen.

How did Aztec priests avoid disasters that would lead to apocalypse?

They appeased the gods, generally by human sacrifice

Why did the Chinese build bigger ships than they needed?

They wanted to show off China's resources and importance

Why was the percentage of slaves imported to the United States from Africa small compared to places like Brazil or the Caribbean?

They were able to naturally reproduce due to the working condition being better than Brazil's.

What was significant about Zheng He's fleet of ships?

They were enormous (over 400 feet long and 7+ masts) , he had an armada of over 300 with a crew of over 27,000.

Describe some examples of the impact of diseases being introduced in the Americas beyond simply sickness and death; sickness and death led to...

War Leaders made it easier to spread diseases and starvation.

What doubled between the years 1650 and 1850?

World Population.

Who led China's ocean expeditions from 1405 to 1435?

Zheng He

Why did the Chinese end sea exploration and trade?

Zheng He and his patron the Yongle Emperor died. The new emperors weren't concerned with trade as much as protection for China.