Columbian Exchange & Atlantic Trade

Indentured servants: role, responsibilities

Indentured servants were usually exiles or criminals looking for freedom. They went to the new world and served as servants before they could be free.

Joint-stock companies: role, purpose

A company owned by private shareholders; allowed them to share profit as a joint venture, but also made them share risk. The purpose for this was to make as much money for their country as possible.

Joint-stock

A company that is owned by many stockholders, with little risk for profit. (Shared profit and lowered risk)

Factors that contributed to the slave trade

A need for manual labor for cotton and sugar plantations after many of the Natives died and couldn't be used to do the labor so they needed to import slaves from Africa. African slaves were immune to European disease. In addition they would not run away as they were in a foreign land.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A treaty that divided the land in the Americas between Portugal and Spain. The line was called the line of demarcation. The Portuguese got land to the east and Spain got land to the west. The line was drawn by the Pope. It was later revised and Portugal was given more land.

Capitalism

An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

Differences between African and Muslim slavery, compared to slavery in the Americas

Blacks in america had no rights. Slaves in the Arabic world could hold positions of authority and importance.

Sources of conflict in North America between European powers

Britain was not a fan of France because of old rivalries and the fact that the French were making a large profit off trade in the Americas made it all the worse. Nobody really liked the Spanish because the Pope liked the Spanish, and the Pope liked to play favorites, giving the Spanish land and trade opportunities. Later on the colonies didn't like the Spanish because they freed the slaves. The British were also jealous of the New Netherlands because they controlled much of the insanely successful fur trade. England (the British) took over the Netherlands (the Dutch), and fought against the French when they pushed west.

Old World Foods (from Africa, Asia, Europe)

Citrus fruits, grapes, bananas, sugar cane, onions, olives, turnip, coffee beans, peaches, and pears.

Main economic activity: New Netherlands

They made a fur trade with the Native Americans: the Native Americans caught the animals and the Dutch bought them, then sold the furs for a higher cost in Europe.

Legacy of colonial settlement (examples in language, culture, etc.)

Different perspectives on slavery and religion.

European misunderstandings of Native Americans

English settlers considered Native Americans to be heathens.

Positive effects of the Columbian Exchange

European government and merchants were very wealthy, new inexpensive crops were transported to Europe, and Native Americans got livestock that were a good source of protein.

Location of Columbus' first contact with the Americas

Hispaniola: an island in the Bahamas (in the Caribbean).

Main economic activity: Jamestown

Jamestown became extremely wealthy through the production and trade of tobacco.

Location of first African blacks sold in English North America

Jamestown, Virginia

Effects of disease on Native American population

Killed up to 90% of native population because of small pox, influenza, malaria, etc. The diseases came from the animals the Europeans brought.

How slavery became institutionalized in the British colonies of North America

Laws and ideas locked slaves into their position. It was harder to become free and the system was built to remove risk of revolt. Africans forgot their lineage. Slaves were not allowed to learn to read or write so they would not be able to communicate ideas. They were cut off from society.

Demand (from Europe)

Manufactured goods/finished products.

Negative effects of the Columbian Exchange

Many Native Americans died from diseases, inflation in Europe, and most people were still poor in Europe even though the economy did well.

Trends in business and trade practices in Europe (16th and 17th centuries)

Mercantilism was the dominant practice, however, capitalism was on the rise, as well as the introduction of joint-stock companies. This allowed merchants to share in more of the wealth and profits, not just the monarchs; however the poor of Europe remained relatively poor.

Effects on prices (Europe)

Prices were raised (inflation). Supply and demand contributed to this.

Supply (from the colonies)

Raw materials: cotton, indigo, wool, wood.

Effects of the Atlantic Slave Trade on Africa

Reduced population, Drain of natural resources, Lack of young men and able workers, War for the purpose of slavery, introduction of guns

Relationship between slavery and racial prejudice

Slavery was considered hereditary, which meant that all dark-skinned people were thought to be slaves during that time. This prejudice has been carried forward to present day.

First country to import enslaved Africans to the Americas

Spain (to South/Central America)

New World Foods (from the Americas)

Squash, sweet potato, avocado, peppers, cassava, peanut, potato, tomato, corn, tobacco, turkey, pumpkin, quinine, pineapple, cacao bean, beans, vanilla, and coffee.

Reasons for British to take control of New Netherland

The British were quite broke because they fought France, and it just so happened that the New Netherlands were in control of excellent trade routes which would have made England lots of money!

Policy of mercantilism

The English passed laws on trading that specifically benefited the British. Merchents had to pay a tax when ever they traded with anyone other than the English.

Early interactions between Native Americans and Europeans

The Europeans were suspicious of the Native Americans and didn't trust their ways.

Main economic activity: New France

The French were looking for the East Indies but found North America instead. Their main activities were trading furs (fur trade) and converting Native Americans to Catholicisim.

The Columbian Exchange

The exchange of food, animals, plants, disease, technology, etc. from the Americas to Europe/Africa/Asia and vice versa.

Mercantilism

The idea that a country's power was based on its wealth. (More $$ = More Power)

Middle Passage

The middle passage was the journey of African slaves on the ships to the Americas. On these slave ships, slaves had very little space, and terrible conditions for disease, clean air, and waste disposal.

Main economic activity: New England

Tobacco

Triangle Trade

Trade between Africa, New world colonies and European countries

Main economic activity: Caribbean

Using slaves as workers, sugar plantations in the Caribbean thrived. (Sugar)

Reasons why Europeans justified using Africans as a source of labor (as opposed to Native Americans)

stronger and healthier than native Americans (already exposed to European diseases)