Age of Exploration (Final)

A. Economic Effects of Spanish colonization of Latin America

1. Mercantilism: Economic policy based on the following principles: Colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country and should: Provide natural resources & raw materials for the mother country. Serve as a market for mother country's goods. Trade ONLY with their mother countries. 2. The Encomienda System: the labor system set up by the Spanish in their colonies. Economic Effects of Encomienda System on the Natives: The natives farmed, ranched, or mined for the Spanish settlers in the Americas (the New World). Organized the labor on Spanish gold & silver mines, sugar plantations, etc. Natives were abused and worked to death; system was a form of slavery. The Columbian Exchange: The global exchange of plants, animals and disease between Europe, Asia, Africa & the Americas. 4. Population Decline Native Population in Mexico 1500: 25 million 1605: 1 million Large numbers of natives died due to the DISEASE brought to the Americas by Europeans The decline of the native population created an economic issue for the Spanish- their labor force was dead so now they will need to replace them. This will lead to the African slave trade. Europeans will replace Native American laborers with African slaves.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement between Portugal and Spain, declaring that newly discovered lands to the west of an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean would belong to Spain and newly discovered lands to the east of the line would belong to Portugal.

What factors helped the Spanish conquer the Aztec and Inca Empires?

Advanced weaponry, natives being negatively impacted by outbreaks of diseases, and a lot of prior experience.

Why did Europeans choose Africans as their new source of labor in the Americas once the Native population had died off?

Africans had immunity to European diseases after centuries of contact They were experienced agricultural workers Difficult for Africans to escape because they did not know their way around the Americas Their skin color made it easier to identify and capture them if they tried to escape.

Triangular Trade

After being captured, African men and women were shipped to the Americas as part of a profitable trade network. Along the way, millions of Africans died. Africans transported to the Americas were part of a transatlantic trading network known as the triangular trade. Over one trade route, Europeans transported manufactured goods to the west coast of Africa. There, traders exchanged these goods for captured Africans. The Africans were then transported across the Atlantic and sold in the West Indies. Merchants bought sugar, coffee, and tobacco in the West Indies and sailed to Europe with these products. On another triangular route, merchants carried rum and other goods from the New England colonies to Africa. There they exchanged their merchandise for Africans. The traders transported the Africans to the West Indies and sold them for sugar and molasses on what was called the "Middle Passage" of the triangular trade network. The Middle Passage was a brutal trip across the Atlantic that many Africans did not survive. Europeans then sold the sugar and molasses they obtained for slaves to rum producers in New England. Various other transatlantic routes existed. The "triangular" trade encompassed a network of trade routes crisscrossing the northern and southern colonies, the West Indies, England, Europe, and Africa. The network carried a variety of traded goods.

Hernando Cortes

Aztecs, Mexico He engaged the Aztec Empire and changed the culture, economy, and society. The natives were exposed to a lot of diseases so they couldn't defeat and fight off Hernando Cortes. The Spanish also had a lot of weaponry. The native civilization was impacted negatively. Many natives died from disease outbreaks to which they haven't encountered beforehand.

Trade Routes Before and After the Fall of Constantinople

Before the fall of Constantinople, the main trade routes from the Silk Road network in the east passed through the Byzantine Empire and onwards to the Italian ports of Genoa, Pisa, and Venice in Western Europe. Luxury goods bought in the Eastern Mediterranean, such as spices, dyes, and silks, were imported from places like India through Constantinople, to Italy and then resold throughout the rest of Europe. Look at the map below. Find the city of Constantinople. (It's the city the furthest West on the map.) Notice that all the trade routes coming from Asia converge there. Once Constantinople fell into the hands of Ottoman Turks who were Muslims, European traders wanted to find new routes to access the spices and other goods they desired from Asia without having to pass through unfriendly territory. (Remember that since the Crusades, Muslims and Western Europeans did not have amicable relationships.) The Portuguese were among the first European traders to begin looking for new routes to India and the rest of Asia to obtain spices and other luxury goods.

What condition was the Byzantine Empire in by 1350?

By 1350, the Byzantine Empire had been mostly conquered by the Ottoman Turks, except for the city of Constantinople.

how did the slave trade affect Europeans and their American colonies?

Created immense wealth for the colonies

Describe what happened to slaves aboard the The Zong:

Disease was spreading through the ship Slaves who died of disease were not covered by the ship's insurance policy, however slaves who fell overboard and drowned were. The captain ordered 130 slaves thrown overboard and drowned to minimize the spread of disease aboard the ship and financial losses for the slave traders.

The Byzantine Empire in Decline

During the Middle Ages, in the year 1095, Pope Urban II called for the Crusades. In his fiery speech before the citizens of Claremont, France, the Pope asked the Franks of Western Europe to defend their fellow Christian brothers in the Byzantine Empire against the Muslim Seljuk Turks that had already invaded the Holy Land and were headed for Constantinople. Though the invaders made it to Constantinople, the city's walls famous for their strength and impenetrability spared it from being conquered. Although Constantinople stood against the attacks from its enemies during the Crusades, over the next several centuries, the Byzantine Empire would slowly decline until this once powerful empire in Western Europe was just a shadow of its former self.

Glory

European explorers and monarchs want to gain fame through discovering and colonizing new lands.

God

Europeans want to spread Christianity to new parts of the world.

Gold

Europeans wanted to obtain spices and luxury goods in Asia.

Europeans utilized the economic system of mercantilism in their American colonies to help the natives prosper economically.

False Europeans used mercantilism to enrich themselves.

A significant effect of the Age of Exploration was that it reduced trade between Europe and the Americas.

False The Age of Exploration increased global trade and led to the Columbian Exchange. The global transfer of plants, animals, and disease between Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Due to Spanish colonization of the new world, natives were able to earn high places in the colonial social class system through hard work and merit.

False The Spanish set up the Casta system- a social system based on race. The "whiter" you were, the higher up you were in the system.

The native population in the Americas declined dramatically in the 1500s because many natives chose to move to their European mother countries.

False The population declined because Europeans brought many diseases and because of brutal treatment in the Encomienda System.

Describe the conditions and abuse that captured Africans endured at the hands of Europeans aboard the slave ships crossing the Atlantic

Forcibly placed on ships, Heads shaved-Placed in crowded compartments, ceilings only 4 ft high, Men chained. No bathrooms, people urinated and defecated where they sat, Extreme heat, little ventilation, Spread of diseases Forced exercise, dancing, and feeding Torture and beating for those who don't comply Women raped, and sexually abused

Spanish Conquests in the New World

In 1519, a Spaniard named Hernando Cortés landed on the shores of Mexico. After colonizing several Caribbean islands, the Spanish had turned their attention to the American mainland. Cortés marched inland, looking to claim new lands for Spain. Cortés and the many other Spanish explorers who followed him were known as conquistadors (conquerors). Lured by rumors of vast lands filled with gold and silver, conquistadors carved out colonies in regions that would become Mexico, South America, and the United States. The Spanish were the first European settlers in the Americas. As a result of their colonization, the Spanish greatly enriched their empire and left a mark on the cultures of North and South America that exists today.

Pizarro Conquers the Inca

In 1532, another Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro, marched a small force into South America. He conquered the Incan Empire and destroyed its culture, economy, and society. Pizarro Subdues the Inca Pizarro and his army of about 200 met the Incan ruler, Atahualpa (AH•tuh•WAHL•puh), near the city of Cajamarca. Atahualpa, who commanded a force of about 30,000, brought several thousand mostly unarmed men for the meeting. The Spaniards waited in ambush, crushed the Incan force, and kidnapped Atahualpa. The Spaniards then moved into the smaller surrounding cities that were under Incan control and plundered them of their gold and silver. Not only was this economically devastating for the Incan Empire, it was a cultural attack as well. The gold and silver adorned Incan temples and buildings, many of which were destroyed during the looting. Just as the Aztec leader Montezuma sensed Cortés's thirst for political and economic power, so did the imprisoned Atahualpa detect Pizarro's motives. Atahualpa offered to fill a room once with gold and twice with silver in exchange for his release. However, after receiving the ransom, the Spanish strangled the Incan king. Also like Montezuma, Atahualpa's body was burned, which was culturally forbidden by the Inca. With these acts, the Spanish debilitated the Incan political organization. It signaled the beginning of the end of Incan culture. The remaining Incan force, demoralized by their leader's death, retreated from Cajamarca. Pizarro then marched on the Incan capital, Cuzco. He captured it without a struggle in 1533. From Cuzco, Pizarro established a new government, which offered Incan lands to Spanish conquerors. As Cortés and Pizarro conquered the civilizations of the Americas, fellow conquistadors defeated other native peoples. Spanish explorers also conquered the Maya in Yucatan and Guatemala. By the middle of the 16th century, Spain had created an American empire. It included New Spain (Mexico and parts of Guatemala), as well as other lands in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Impact of the Slave Trade on Europeans and the American Colonies

In the Americas, the slave trade created the considerable riches for Europeans. The importation and subsequent enslavement of the Africans would be the major factor in the colonization of the American continents following the disastrous decline in their Native population. The transatlantic slave trade laid the foundation for modern capitalism, generating immense wealth for business enterprises in America and Europe. The trade contributed to the industrialization of northwestern Europe and created a single Atlantic world that included western Europe, western Africa, the Caribbean islands, and the mainlands of North and South America.

Francisco Pizarro

Inca, Western South America He kidnapped and executed the Inca leader and strangled the Incan king. After that, he captured the capital of the Incan Empire. (Cuzco) The native civilization had their culture, economy, and society destroyed. They lost a lot of their wealth which came from the gold and silver buildings. Temples were looted and destroyed.

Why do you think that the Ottoman Sultan Muhammad II wanted to conquer Constantinople so badly?

It was a wealthy city and strategically located near all the major trade routes.

why did the Ottomans want to take control of Constantinople?

It was wealthy, near vital waterways.

What does this image indicate about interactions between natives and Spanish explorers in the years following Columbus' landing in the Americas?

Many natives were treated brutally or killed by the Spanish.

The fall of Constantinople is considered a turning point in world history. Why? What changed once it was conquered by the Ottomans?

Marked the fall of the Byzantine Empire Constantinople becomes Istanbul (capital of Ottoman Empire) Hagia Sophia becomes a mosque

list at least 3 effects that the slave trade had on Africa or Africans:

Millions of Africans died in slave trade, Set off tribal warfare among African tribes Stopped development and progress of African societies as millions of young, healthy Africans are shipped across the Atlantic, Decline of Trans-Saharan trade and African economies Decline of African kingdoms, Increased bias against Africans and the belief that they were racially inferior to whites

Vasco da Gama (1497)

Sailed for Portugal Reached the southern tip of Africa and established a sea route to India.

Bartolomeu Dias (1488)

Sailed for Portugal Reached the southern tip of Africa.

Christopher Columbus (1492)

Sailed for Spain Sailed across the Atlantic and reached the Caribbean.

What was slavery like as it existed in Africa prior to the Atlantic slave trade?

Slavery existed in Africa for many years prior to the arrival of Europeans and the slave trade. Muslims who conquered parts of Africa transported millions of slaves to the northern part of the continent and S.W. Asia.

Slavery in Africa

Slavery had existed in Africa for centuries. In most regions, it was a relatively minor institution. The spread of Islam into Africa during the seventh century, however, ushered in an increase in slavery and the slave trade. Muslim rulers in Africa justified enslavement with the Muslim belief that non-Muslim prisoners of war could be bought and sold as slaves. As a result, between 650 and 1600, Muslims transported about 17 million Africans to the Muslim lands of North Africa and Southwest Asia. In most African and Muslim societies, slaves had some legal rights and an opportunity for social mobility. In the Muslim world, a few slaves even occupied positions of influence and power. Some served as generals in the army. In African societies, slaves could escape their bondage in numerous ways, including marrying into the family they served.

B. Social Effects of Spanish colonization of Latin America

Social Class- A new class system based on race called the "Casta system" emerges in Latin America. (Peninsulares at top and Native American Indians and Africans at bottom) Peninsulares- Spanish born settlers in Latin America. Creoles- People of Spanish descent born in Latin America. Mestizos- mixed Spanish & Native American Indian. AND Mulattos- mixed Spanish & African. Native American Indians & Africans- used as laborers in Encomienda system; lowest status. 2. Culture- Native culture is replaced with Spanish culture Spanish Catholic priests accompanied Conquistadors to the New World to convert the Natives to Christianity. They were forbidden from practicing their own religions. Natives forced to convert or face death/torture. Natives forced to learn Spanish language Spanish/European style of dress forced on the Natives as well. Big Idea: The Spanish sought to "Westernize" and "Christianize" the Native peoples of the Americas because they believed their original cultures were inferior to that of Europeans.

Cortés Conquers the Aztecs

Soon after landing in Mexico in 1519, Cortés learned of the vast and wealthy Aztec Empire in the region's interior. After marching for weeks through difficult mountain passes, Cortés and his force of roughly 600 men finally reached the magnificent Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán (teh•NAWCH•tee•TLAHN). It was there that Cortés and his men would engage the Aztec Empire and severely affect its culture, economy, and society. The Aztec emperor, Montezuma II, was convinced at first that Cortés was an armor-wearing god. He agreed to give the Spanish explorer a share of the empire's existing gold supply. Though Montezuma hoped that would satisfy Cortés, it did not. Cortés admitted that he and his comrades had a "disease of the heart that only gold can cure." In both the political and economic sense, Cortés wanted more power. The Aztecs controlled hundreds of smaller surrounding cities. They gained economic power by demanding annual payments from these conquered communities. The presence of the Spaniards disrupted this aspect of the Aztec way of life, as Cortés colonized many of these places. Furthermore, many of these cities were angry at the Aztecs, and as a result, were willing to ally themselves with Cortés as he took control of Tenochtitlán. Aztec culture was largely destroyed by the Spaniards. For example, the Aztecs maintained a series of painted books called codices. Codices described Aztec history, economy, religious beliefs, and daily life. They were written in a largely pictorial language, and Aztec cultural tradition dictated that a codex was to be read aloud to others. The Spaniards destroyed almost all of the Aztec codices. In November 1519, Cortés captured Montezuma II. The following spring, some of Cortés's men killed many Aztec warriors and chiefs while they were celebrating a religious festival. Then, in June of 1520, the Aztecs rebelled against the Spanish intruders and drove out Cortés's forces, but not before Montezuma II was killed. The Spaniards, however, struck back. Despite being greatly outnumbered, Cortés and his men conquered the Aztecs in 1521. Several factors played a key role in the stunning victory. First, and most important, the natives could do little to stop the invisible warrior that marched alongside the Spaniards—disease. Measles, mumps, smallpox, and typhus were just some of the diseases Europeans were to bring with them to the Americas. Native Americans had never been exposed to these diseases. Thus, they had developed no natural immunity to them. As a result, they died by the hundreds of thousands. By the time Cortés launched his counterattack, the Aztec population had been greatly reduced by smallpox and measles. In time, European disease would truly devastate the natives of central Mexico, killing millions of them. Second, Cortés was able to enlist the help of various native groups. With the aid of a native woman interpreter named Malinche, Cortés learned that some natives resented the Aztecs. They hated their harsh practices, including human sacrifice. Through Malinche, Cortés convinced these natives to fight on his side. Finally, the Spanish had the advantage of superior weaponry. Aztec arrows were no match for the Spaniards' muskets and cannons. As this example shows, European technology influenced the European's ability to conquer and colonize the Americas.

Why did the Pope intervene in matters of European exploration? What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?

Spain and Portugal were in fierce competition to claim territory they explored. To avoid a conflict between the two Catholic nations, the Pope issued the Treaty of Tordesillas. It created a dividing line for colonization. All lands of the East were open for Portugal to claim, all lands to the West were for Spain to claim.

C. Political Effects of Spanish colonization of Latin America

Spanish King divided the lands of the New World into provinces. Each province controlled by a viceroy: a governor appointed by the king of Spain. King set up the Council of the Indies- legislative body which passed laws for the colonies. The natives lost control over their lands, no longer governed themselves and had no political power in the colonial societies set up by the Spanish.

What were the symbolic and economic consequences of the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks?

Symbolic- Constantinople- a famous Christian city had fallen under Muslim control. Ended Christian influence in Asia Minor. Economic- the major trade routes to Asia were now under Muslim control. Christians in Western Europe will view traveling through these areas for trade purposes threatening/unsafe due to poor Christian-Mulsim relations that have existed since the Crusades.

What role did technology play in the Age of Exploration?

Technology such as the caravel, the magnetic compass, and the astrolabe allowed Europeans to pursue exploring new lands.

What do historians suggest would never have happened if Constantinople had never been conquered?

The Age of Exploration may never have happened. Exploration was motivated by the European need to find alternate routes to access goods from Asia since the trade routes through Constantinople and former Byzantine lands were now controlled by their enemies.

Aztec Civilization in Mexico

The Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico around AD 1200. The Aztecs, who were then called the Mexica, were a poor, nomadic people from the harsh deserts of northern Mexico. Fierce and ambitious, they soon adapted to local ways, finding work as soldiers for hire to local rulers. According to one Aztec legend, the god of the sun and warfare, Huitzilopochtli (wee•tsee•loh•POHCH•tlee), told them to found a city of their own. He said to look for a place where an eagle perched on a cactus, holding a snake in its mouth. They found such a place on a small island in Lake Texcoco, at the center of the valley. There, in 1325, they founded their city, which they named Tenochtitlán (teh•noch•tee•TLAHN) By the early 1500s, Tenochtitlán had become an extraordinary urban center. Much of the building up of the city and some of its growth were achieved under Montezuma I. With a population of between 200,000 and 400,000 people, it was larger than London or any other European capital of the time. Tenochtitlán remained on its original island site. To connect the island to the mainland, Aztec engineers built three raised roads, called causeways, over the water and marshland. Other smaller cities ringed the lake, creating a dense concentration of people in the Valley of Mexico. Streets and broad avenues connected the city center with outlying residential districts. The canals that intersected with these roadways allowed canoes to bring people directly into the city center. Canoes also brought goods from the farthest reaches of the empire to the economic heart of the city, the huge market of Tlatelolco (TLAH•tehl•AWL•koh). Visitors to the market also found a great deal of local agricultural produce on display, including avocados, beans, chili peppers, corn, squash, and tomatoes. Most of the fruits and vegetables sold at the market were grown on chinampas, farm plots built on the marshy fringes of the lake. These plots, sometimes called "floating gardens," were extremely productive, providing the food needed for a huge urban population. Aztec religious practices centered on elaborate public ceremonies designed to communicate with the gods and win their favor. At these ceremonies, priests made offerings to the gods and presented ritual dramas, songs, and dances featuring masked performers. The Aztec ceremonial calendar was full of religious festivals, which varied according to the god being honored.

New Sailing & Navigational Technology Enables Exploration

The Caravel Small, light, three-masted sailing ship which was developed by Portugal in the 15th century. Triangular sails and moveable rudder make it fast and easier to maneuver. Capacity to hold large quantities of cargo. (Ideal for trade.) Could be equipped with cannons. Magnetic Compass & Astrolabe Compass- Technology invented in China, but carried to Europe during the Tang & Song Dynasties enabled Europeans to become explorers during the 15th & 16th centuries. The magnetic compass was improved in the 1400's. It used an iron needle, magnetized by a mineral called lodestone to align with the Earth's north & south poles. Navigator used this instrument to help them with direction. Astrolabe: The astrolabe was a brass circle with carefully adjusted concentric rings marked off in degrees. Using these rings to sight the stars, a sea captain could tell how far north or south of the equator he was. Both the compass and astrolabe greatly helped European sailors navigate at sea. Improved Cartography (Mapmaking): During the 1400's European cartographers (mapmakers) produced better maps that helped explorers find their way to key ports.

Using the graphic and the text to help you define the "Middle Passage"?

The Middle Passage was the leg of the Triangular Trade route in which millions of Africans were transported across the Atlantic and sold into slavery in the Americas.

What finally allowed the Ottoman Turks to get past the walls of Constantinople?

The Ottomans had superior weapons technology- they had cannons which made the walls of Constantinople useless.

Europeans Seek New Trade Routes

The desire for new sources of wealth was the main reason for European exploration. Through overseas exploration, merchants and traders hoped ultimately to benefit from what had become a profitable business in Europe: the trade of spices and other luxury goods from Asia. The people of Europe had been introduced to these items during the Crusades, the wars fought between Christians and Muslims from 1096 to 1270. After the Crusades ended, Europeans continued to demand such spices as nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and pepper, all of which added flavor to the bland foods of Europe. Because demand for these goods was greater than the supply, merchants could charge high prices and thus make great profits. The Muslims and the Italians controlled trade from East to West. Muslims sold Asian goods to Italian merchants, who controlled trade across the land routes of the Mediterranean region. The Italians resold the items at increased prices to merchants throughout Europe. Other European traders did not like this arrangement. Paying such high prices to the Italians severely cut into their own profits. By the 1400s, European merchants—as well as the new monarchs of England, Spain, Portugal, and France—sought to bypass the Italian merchants. This meant finding a sea route directly to Asia.

The Spread of Christianity

The desire to spread Christianity also motivated Europeans to explore. The Crusades had left Europeans with a taste for spices, but more significantly, with feelings of hostility between Christians and Muslims. European countries believed that they had a sacred duty not only to continue fighting Muslims, but also to convert non-Christians throughout the world. Europeans hoped to obtain popular goods directly from the peoples of Asia. They also hoped to Christianize them. Bernal Díaz del Castillo, an early Spanish explorer, explained his motives:

The Demand for Africans

The first Europeans to explore Africa were the Portuguese during the 1400s. Initially, Portuguese traders were more interested in trading for gold than for captured Africans. That changed with the colonization of the Americas, as native peoples began dying by the millions. Europeans saw advantages in using Africans in the Americas. First, many Africans had been exposed to European diseases and had built up some immunity. Second, many Africans had experience in farming and could be taught plantation work. Third, Africans were less likely to escape because they did not know their way around the new land. Fourth, their skin color made it easier to catch them if they escaped and tried to live among others. In time, the buying and selling of Africans for work in the Americas—known as the Atlantic slave trade—became a massive enterprise. Between 1500 and 1600, nearly 300,000 Africans were transported to the Americas. During the next century, that number climbed to almost 1.3 million. By the time the Atlantic slave trade ended around 1870, Europeans had imported about 9.5 million Africans to the Americas.

Spain and Portugal Compete for Trade Routes and Riches

The leader in overseas exploration was Portugal. Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the southwest corner of Europe, Portugal was the first European country to establish trading outposts along the west coast of Africa. Eventually, Portuguese explorers pushed farther east into the Indian Ocean. Portugal took the lead in overseas exploration in part due to strong government investment. The nation's most enthusiastic supporter of exploration was Prince Henry, the son of Portugal's king. In 1419, Henry founded a navigation school on the southwestern coast of Portugal. Mapmakers, instrument makers, shipbuilders, scientists, and sea captains gathered there to perfect their trade. Within several years, and with considerable investment from the monarchy, Portuguese ships began sailing down the western coast of Africa. By the time Henry died in 1460, the Portuguese had established a series of trading posts along western Africa's shores. There, they traded with Africans for such profitable items as gold and ivory. Eventually, they traded for African captives to be used as slaves. Having established their presence along the African coast, Portuguese explorers plotted their next move. They would attempt to find a sea route to Asia. The Portuguese believed that to reach Asia by sea, they would have to sail around the southern tip of Africa. In 1488, Portuguese captain Bartolomeu Dias ventured far down the coast of Africa until he and his crew reached the tip. As they arrived, a huge storm rose and battered the fleet for days. When the storm ended, Dias realized his ships had been blown around the tip to the other side. Dias explored the southeast coast of Africa and then considered sailing to India. However, his crew was exhausted and food supplies were low. As a result, the captain returned home. With the tip of Africa finally rounded, the Portuguese continued pushing east. In 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama began exploring the east African coast. In 1498, he reached the port of Calicut, on the southwestern coast of India. Da Gama and his crew were amazed by the spices, rare silks, and precious gems that filled Calicut's shops. The Portuguese sailors filled their ships with such spices as pepper and cinnamon and returned to Portugal in 1499. Their cargo was worth 60 times the cost of the voyage. Da Gama's remarkable voyage of 27,000 miles had given Portugal a direct sea route to India. As the Portuguese were establishing trading posts along the west coast of Africa, Spain (Portugal's neighbor) watched with increasing envy. The Spanish monarchs also desired a direct sea route to Asia to obtain spices and other riches. In 1492, an Italian sea captain, Christopher Columbus, convinced Spain to finance a bold plan: finding a route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. In October of that year, Columbus reached an island in the Caribbean. He was mistaken in his thought that he had reached India. But his voyage would open the way for European colonization of the Americas—a process that would forever change the world. The immediate impact of Columbus's voyage, however, was to increase tensions between Spain and Portugal. The Portuguese believed that Columbus had indeed reached Asia. Portugal suspected that Columbus had claimed for Spain lands that Portuguese sailors might have reached first. The rivalry between Spain and Portugal grew more tense. In 1493, Pope Alexander VI stepped in to keep peace between the two nations. He suggested an imaginary dividing line, drawn north to south, through the Atlantic Ocean. All lands to the west of the line, known as the Line of Demarcation, would be Spain's. These lands included most of the Americas. All lands to the east of the line would belong to Portugal. Portugal complained that the line gave too much to Spain. So it was moved farther west to include parts of modern-day Brazil for the Portuguese. In 1494, Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, in which they agreed to honor the line. The era of exploration and colonization was about to begin in earnest.

In your own words, define Triangular Trade:

The sea trade network between Europe, the Americas, and Africa that created a triangular pattern across the Atlantic.

Effects of the Slave Trade on Africa

The slave trade had a profound and devastating effect on Africa. During the 370 year period that the slave trade existed, millions of Africans died. Some died aboard slaves ships, while others were killed in tribal warfare that was set off by the slave trade within Africa. In addition, numerous cultures in Africa lost generations of their fittest, youngest and most able members.Villages and crops were destroyed in the warfare to provide captives for the slave trade. Bitterness among Africans themselves developed that still affects relations between ethnic groups in the modern African nations. Africans fearing the slave raids sometimes abandoned their villages and moved further into the interior. Others lived in a constant state of fear, more interested in avoiding capture than in the development of their own society. Because of the huge profits that participants in the slave trade could gain, the Trans-Saharan trade routes that Africans used to transport goods to each other throughout Africa lost importance which led to the decline of African economies and subsequently the decline of many African kingdoms. To justify the slave trade, those involved nurtured the belief that black Africans, because of their skin color were inferior. This belief was accepted by Europeans and Americans who knew nothing of Africa and its cultures. The resulting prejudice and bias would affect the history and people of the Americas for centuries.

how could the Portuguese obtain spices and other luxury goods from Asia without having to pass through Ottoman lands?

They could sail around the southern tip of Africa.

Natives in the Americas had never seen a horse before Europeans colonized the region.

True Horses were transferred from the Old World (Europe) to the New World (the Americas) during the Columbian Exchange.

The Encomienda System was brutal and led to the deaths of many natives.

True In the Encomienda System, the Spanish worked many of the natives to death farming, ranching and mining for them.

Spanish colonization of the Americas had a devastating impact on the culture of the natives.

True Natives were forced to learn Spanish language, adopt Spanish dress, learn Christianity. Their culture was replaced with Spanish culture.

Once colonized by the Spanish, natives in the Americas no longer had any political power.

True The Spanish set up the Council of the Indies- a governing body for the Spanish colonies in the Americas that was based in Spain. They no longer had control over their lands.

There is a direct cause and effect relationship between Spanish colonization of the Americas and the slave trade.

True The population decline of the natives directly caused the African slave trade. Europeans needed laborers for the Encomienda System.

Italians did not eat marinara sauce on their pasta before the Columbian Exchange.

True Tomatoes were not grown in Europe before the Columbian Exchange.

The Inca in South America

While the Aztecs ruled in the Valley of Mexico, another people—the Inca—created an equally powerful state in South America. From Cuzco, their capital in southern Peru, the Inca spread outward in all directions. They brought various Andean peoples under their control and built an empire that stretched from Ecuador in the north to Chile in the south. It was the largest empire ever seen in the Americas. The Inca originally lived in a high plateau of the Andes. After wandering the highlands for years, the Inca finally settled on fertile lands in the Valley of Cuzco. By the 1200s, they had established their own small kingdom in the valley. During this early period, the Inca developed traditions and beliefs that helped launch and unify their empire. One of these traditions was the belief that the Incan ruler was descended from the sun god, Inti, who would bring prosperity and greatness to the Incan state. Only men from one of 11 noble lineages believed to be descendants of the sun god could be selected as Incan leaders. To control the huge empire, the rulers divided their territory and its people into manageable units, governed by a central bureaucracy. The Inca created an efficient economic system to support the empire and an extensive road system to tie it together. They also imposed a single official language, Quechua (KEHCH•wuh), and founded schools to teach Incan ways. Certain social groups were identified by officially dictated patterns on clothing. All of these actions were calculated to unify the variety of people controlled by the Inca. As with the Aztecs, religion was important to the Inca and helped reinforce the power of the state. The Inca worshiped fewer gods than the Aztecs. The Inca focused on key nature spirits such as the moon, the stars, and thunder. In the balance of nature, the Inca saw patterns for the way humans should relate to each other and to the earth. The primary Incan god was a creator god called Viracocha. Next in importance was the sun god, Inti. Because the Incan ruler was considered a descendant of Inti, sun worship amounted to worship of the king. The Temple of the Sun in Cuzco was the most sacred of all Incan shrines. It was heavily decorated in gold, a metal the Inca referred to as "sweat of the sun." According to some sources, the temple even had a garden with plants and animals crafted entirely from gold and silver. In fact, gold was a common sight throughout Cuzco. The walls of several buildings had a covering of thin gold sheeting.

Does the interaction between Columbus and the Natives seem friendly?

Yes, the natives are offering them gifts. They seem unaware that Columbus and his men are there to colonize their land.