European Expansion: 1500-1800

What were new inventions that improved the means of exploration and made sailing to the New World and around the continent of Africa more safe?

-Caravel: a new, more mobile ship -New navigational devices: compass, astrolabe -Improved maps: Mercator projection showed every line of true direction -Growing knowledge of geography and wind patterns

Why were Europeans drawn to the Far East?

-Fantasy literature -Riches from valuable Asian commodities -Prospect of bypassing Arab middlemen -Taking Christianity to New World Natives

Did European governments regulate trade heavily?

Colonies provided cheap raw materials and a ready market for manufactured items, so European governments often heavily regulated colonial trade.

How were disputes over territory settled?

In 1494, the Pope divided the new world in the Treaty of Tordesillas.

What other industries prospered?

Technologies that supported the overseas voyages, like shipbuilding and mining, also prospered.

How did the British East India Company trade in China?

The British found a trading post in Canton in 1699 and developed a thriving trade in tea and silk.

What were the effects of Vasco de Gama's travels?

The huge profits his investors reaped encouraged more commercial trips to India and the eventual establishment of a port at Goa.

How were the natives treated by the Spanish?

The natives experienced terrible mistreatment, forced labor, disease, and starvation. About 30-40% of the native population died.

How did the encomienda system end?

The protests of Dominican missionaries and writings by Bartolome de Las Casas pressed the Spanish government to end the encomienda system in 1542, replacing it with the viceroy system.

How was overseas trade different by the end of the seventeenth century?

By the end of the seventeenth century, overseas trade was rapidly increasing, further globalizing the economy and encouraging immigration.

Did the Portuguese end up setting up colonies in Asia?

Although they created trading posts in India and China, the Portuguese did not set up colonies in Asia. Their success was based mainly on their sailing and military technologies.

What were the centers of trade at the beginning of the sixteenth century?

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the Mediterranean, Low Countries, Baltic ports, and the Rhine and Danube rivers were the centers of a flourishing European trade network.

How did Britain and France's economies change as they expanded?

Both nations broke into Spanish and Portuguese markets, expanding their economies.

Where did Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese explorer, sail?

By 1498, Vasco de Gama sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, stopped at several Muslim-controlled trading ports in modern-day Mozambique and Tanzania, and then traveled to the Port of Calicut, India, before returning to Portugal.

What were the three legs of the triangular trade?

1. European merchants shipped European-made items such as cloth and guns to Africa, where they traded them for slaves. 2. The merchants sailed to the New World, where they sold the slaves and purchased materials frown and manufactured in the Americas, like molasses, rum, and tobacco. 3. These items were then sold by the merchants when they returned to Europe.

What were joint-stock companies?

A new form of investment, for joint-stock companies, investors bought shares in a company, like the Dutch East India Company, and received a cut of the profits. With large profits, these companies easily raised money for overseas commercial endeavors.

How did Europeans travel to the Far East?

After the Ottoman conquests and the collapse of the Mongol Empire reduced access to Asia by land, so Europeans began to look for sea routes.

How did the African society and economy change?

Although European economies were improved, many African societies were decimated. Since the societies were depopulated, European goods replaced the goods made in African cottage industries, increasing poverty and the violence between tribes. Tribes that traded their neighbors for guns profited and dominated Africa politically.

How did the conditions for farmers in the west change?

Although farmers in the west were generally free, most continued to owe feudal obligations to the nobility and lived traditional peasant lives.

When did the Europeans begin to colonize China?

Although the Portuguese arrived in China in 1514, serious pressure from the European nations did not occur until the late 1600's.

How did the Dutch colonize present-day America?

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Dutch added to their commercial empire with the founding of New Netherlands.

How did the English colonize present-day America?

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the English added to their commercial empire with the founding of Jamestown. Throughout the seventeenth century, the English continued to expand their colonial empire in North America, founding other colonies.

How did the Spanish try to get to the Spice Islands?

Aware that the world is a sphere but unaware of its size, the Spanish looked west for a route to the Spice Islands.

How did banks and the governments interact during the Age of Exploration?

Bankers often made large loans to European governments in exchange for other rewards, like land grants or mining rights on government lands, but sometimes these backfired. For example, the House of Fugger enjoyed mining privileges in Hapsburg lands, but went bankrupt when the Hapsburgs could no longer repay the loans.

Why were there bitter conflicts among European powers?

By the eighteenth century, growing rivalry over control of New World products and territories had led to bitter conflicts among European powers. Some nations even advocated piracy as a means of gaining wealth and weakening their rivals.

How did the British take over India?

By the mid seventeenth century, the English had established a thriving trade of exchanging Indian-made textiles for spices in the East Indies and then selling the spices in England. Having defeated the Mughal Empire, which had been in power for several centuries, the powerful British East India Company began to move inland.

How did the English and Dutch colonies in present-day America interact?

By the second-half of the seventeenth century, competition for dominance and commercial supremacy led to the English seizure of New Netherlands, an action that expanded the North American holdings of England and put the Dutch West India Company out of business.

Who became the middlemen of European trade?

By the seventeenth century, the Dutch had become the middlemen of European trade, dominating both European and Atlantic routes.

How did the Catholic Church gain power in the Americas?

Christian missionaries, mostly Catholics, went to the New World to spread religion and built villages, schools, hospitals, and orphanages; as a result, the Catholic Church gained great power in the Americas.

Why did Columbus go on his voyages?

Columbus traveled in search of gold and opportunities to Christianize the natives.

How were conquered territories affected?

Conquered territories faced tremendous changes in their lifestyles and often suffered large population losses as a result of European warfare and diseases.

What did the Dutch East India Company do?

Consolidating its political and economic power in the region allowed the Dutch East India Company to establish lucrative pepper plantations and gain control of most of the Indonesian islands.

What was the "triangular trade" in relation to slavery?

Direct delivery of slaves from Africa to the New World began in 1518, an arrangement that developed into "triangular trade".

Where did the Dutch take over is southeast Asia?

During the early seventeenth century, the Dutch gradually took over Portuguese coastal forts along the Indian Ocean, forced the Portuguese and most of the British out of the spice trade, and occupied Ceylon and Malacca.

Why did the French end up losing their colonies?

During the eighteenth century, France had to give away some North American possessions as a result of European wars, and in 1763, lost its North American colonies to Britain in the Seven Years' War.

Why did trade patterns and new world markets change?

During the sixteenth century, and important shift occurred: nations on the Atlantic seaboard expanded to the New World, changing trade patterns and creating new world markets.

How emerged as the paramount imperial power by the end of the 1700's?

England

Why did the Europeans want to settle in Africa?

European nations wanted their own outposts along the route to the Spice Islands, following Portugal's lead. Africa also offered further profits.

What was brought to Europe from the New World?

Europeans brought tomatoes, potatoes, chocolate, turkeys, maize, squash, and tobacco back to Europe.

How did Europeans affect Native American populations?

Europeans devastated Native American populations by replacing their customs/institutions with European ones and introducing new crops and animals to the Americas.

When did the English and French finally abolished slavery?

Europeans largely accepted slavery; finally, the French abolished slavery during the French Revolution, and the British in 1807.

What was brought to the New World from Europe?

Europeans took horses, cattle, chickens, apples, wheat, and turnips to the New World.

How did China fend off the Europeans?

Fearing foreign domination, China restricted foreign traders to an island off the coast of Canton and allowed them to be there no more than six months a year. However, in the late eighteenth century, the British East India Company began to press for greater privileges.

How did the introduction of New World foods change Europe?

Foods like corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and chocolate diversified the European diet and economy and led to rapid population growth as potatoes became a staple. Coffee and tea houses opened in Europe, chocolate drinks grew in popularity, and Europeans sought Chinese luxury items like porcelain.

Where did the Portuguese sail?

Hoping to find more gold, Prince Henry sent Portuguese ships south until they reached the Senegal River in 1441 and established the slave trade, importing Africans for sale in Europe. The Portuguese were the first to establish a foothold in Africa.

Did the Portuguese conquer the Arab traders?

In 1511, the Portuguese seized the Muslim trading port of Malacca on the Malay peninsula, further consolidating their control of the spice trade.

What happened between the Spanish and the Aztecs?

In 1519, Hernan Cortes and his company marched into Tenochtitlan, where they were welcomed by the Aztec leader Moctezuma. The Spanish took Moctezuma hostage and pillaged the Aztec city. In 1520, the Aztecs managed to evict the Spanish, but they were already afflicted with smallpox, a European disease they had no immunity to. Cortes was able to immediately regain his advantage and destroyed the Aztec empire. By the mid-1500's, Spain was in control of Northern Mexico.

What happened between the Spanish and the Inca?

In 1530, Francisco Pizarro arrived with nearly 200 men. The Incas had already been weakened by smallpox and the emperor's death set off a civil war between his two sons. This cleared the way for Pizarro to destroy the empire and establish a Spanish capital in Lima, Peru.

How did the Spanish and the Portuguese affect Central and South America?

In Central and South America, the Latin American culture emerged when the Spanish and Portuguese settlers mixed with native women, causing Central and South America to become more racially and culturally diverse.

How did the conditions for farmers in Eastern Europe change?

In Eastern Europe, conditions worsened for many farmers. For example, in Prussia and Russia, many lost their freedom and were increasingly tied to the land and the demands of the landowners.

Why did Portuguese merchants sail further east?

Increasing profits from the spice trade encouraged Portuguese merchants to sail further east as they worked to destroy Arab traders.

What were the motives for expansion?

Intellectual, economic, political, and religious motives drove expansion. Aka "God, gold, and glory".

Who controlled the slave trade?

It was commonly believed that the Europeans controlled the slave trade, but actually, African slave traders obtained most slaves and set the terms of sale.

How successful were the Jesuits?

Jesuit missionaries had some success in China and Japan, but the spread of Christianity eventually stalled because of conflicts between religious orders and Asian officials wary of threats to their power.

How did European governments react to the Price Revolution?

Making matters worse for the lower classes, European governments, also suffering from the high inflation, borrowed money from bankers and passed the costs on to their subjects through higher taxes.

What is mercantilism?

Mercantilism is an economic system based on the idea that there is a limited amount of bullion (gold and silver) in the world; it follows that the nation that controls the most wealth will be the nation that dominates the world economically and politically.

Why did disputes over territory erupt?

Once countries realized that Columbus had not reached Asia and instead reached a new world, the countries became eager to learn more and claim territory. Several European countries sponsored numerous voyages.

Who launched Portuguese exploration? When?

Prince Henry the Navigator had launched Portuguese exploration in the 1400's.

Where did Christopher Columbus go?

Rejected by the Portuguese, Columbus asked Queen Isabella of Spain to finance a westward voyage. His first voyage in 1492 took him to Cuba and Hispaniola. Believing he had reached Asia, he convinced the Spanish to fund three more expeditions. His voyages took him to many Caribbean islands and the coast of Central America.

Who dominated the New World during each century?

Sixteenth century: Spain and Portugal launched the age of exploration and were dominant. Seventeenth century: Spanish and Portuguese power waned as the Dutch rose to prominence. Eighteenth century: The English and the French eclipsed the Dutch, becoming the chief powers for much of the eighteenth century.

How did the slave trade change as Europeans explored the coastal regions of Africa?

Slave trade increased. Many slaves were sent to the Middle East and Europe, where they worked as household servants or farmhands. However, the planting of sugar cane/the founding of plantations in the Caribbean and South America in the late 1400's greatly accelerated the need for labor, expanding the international slave trade.

Who funded the Spanish explorers?

Spanish explorers, or conquistadors, were privately funded, so they were authorized but not totally controlled by the Spanish crown.

How were the slaves treated?

Ten million slaves were sold in the Americas between the 1500's-1800's, half of them transported and sold by the British. There were high death rates en route to the Americas because of bad conditions on the voyages. Once in the Americas, there was still a high death rate because of the New World diseases that the Africans weren't immune to, malnutrition, and overwork.

What was the "price revolution"?

The "price revolution" was a period of inflation during which wages fell behind the growing cost of food and other necessities.

Why did did Spanish and Portuguese power decline in the Americas in the seventeenth century?

The Armada's defeat and the ensuing loss of Spain's political and economic power decreased Spain's power in the Americas, inviting Dutch, English, and French competition.

How was Dutch commercial expansion fueled?

The Bank of Amsterdam provided traditional banking and also ran the Amsterdam Exchange, a stock exchange. Also, the strength of Dutch shipping fueled commercial expansion too.

What was the Colombian Exchange?

The Colombian Exchange was the exchange of people, diseases, plants, and animals between Europe and the New World during the age of exploration.

Did the Dutch and the French colonize India?

The Dutch turned their attention away from India and the French had been forced out altogether by 1763.

Which European countries fought for control in the New World?

The Dutch, French, and English vied with the Spanish and Portuguese for control of the New World.

How did the English and French colonize the West Indies?

The English and French developed numerous colonies in the West Indies where they established thriving sugar, cotton, tobacco, and coffee plantations by using slave labor. Especially important were Britain's sugar plantations and France's in Haiti.

How did the English colonies in the Americas effect the English economy?

The English colonies in the West Indies and North America benefited the English economy; they were a source for raw materials for English manufacturers and a market for English goods.

Were the southeast Asian countries able to resist European control?

The Europeans competed for trade and missionary privileges in continental southeast Asia, but the southeast Asian countries were had political unity and therefore were able to resist European control.

Where did the French colonize in Canada?

The French founded Quebec in 1608 and began to acquire territory in modern Canada, where they profited from trade in fish, furs, timber, and leather. They also sent missionaries as well.

Did the Japanese welcome the Europeans?

The Japanese welcomed the European manufactured items, but in 1637, they forced European missionaries out of the country and soon after expelled most European traders. Only the Dutch managed to maintain limited trade relations with the Japanese.

Why couldn't Portugal gain control of Asia?

The Portuguese Empire was overextended and its military couldn't dominate the region. This allowed the Spanish, Dutch, and English to dominate the region.

How did the Portuguese interact with the Africans?

The Portuguese and Africans traded in gold and ivory; they even eventually leased land from local African rulers to build defensive forts.

Who competed for control of India?

The Portuguese faced competition from the Dutch and the English in India by the end of the sixteenth century.

What were the Portuguese looking for?

The Portuguese were searching for a sea route to India, so they kept venturing further south.

How did the Portuguese take over Japan?

The Portuguese, the first Europeans to land in Japan, developed a regional trade network among Japan, China, and southeast Asia.

How did the influx of precious metals from the New World mines affect the Spanish economy?

The Potosi mines alone produced over 45,000 tons of silver for the Spanish between 1556 and 1783. This influx of precious metals from the New World created staggering inflation that threatened the Spanish economy and social structure.

Where did the Spanish take over in southeast Asia?

The Spanish took over the Philippines and established a trading base in order to trade Asian goods with Mexico.

What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?

The Treaty of Tordesillas divided up the new world between Portugal and Spain, with Spain gaining most of South America except for modern-day Brazil.

Where was the center of European trade by the end of the 1500's?

The center shifted from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic seaboard as Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, England, and France set out to colonize the New World.

What were the children of the settlers and the natives known as?

The children of Spanish/Portuguese settlers and Central/South Americans were known as mestizos; the children of European settlers and African slaves were called mulattoes.

Were most Europeans affected by the commercial revolution?

The commercial revolution created huge profits for those who had money to invest, but most Europeans, about 80%, were largely untouched by the commercial revolution and continued to depend on agriculture for their living.

How did the Spanish conquistadors treat the natives?

The conquistadors were brutal, ravaging thriving native civilizations, like the Aztecs and the Incas.

What was the encomienda system?

The encomienda, established by Queen Elizabeth, stated that in return for the right to govern the natives, use them for slave labor, and collect tributes, Spanish settlers had to care for their subjects, provide protection, pay them wages, and Christianize them.

Why did commercial banks emerge?

The expansion of trade and the cost of exploration gave rise to new commercial organizations. When family-owned banking firms could no longer supply the capital and services needed by overseas merchants, large commercial banks emerged.

How did the Europeans have the financial means for voyages abroad?

The political and economic growth and consolidation of Europe's centralized monarchies created the financial means for voyages abroad.

How did the Spanish missionaries Christianize the natives of the New World?

The pope granted the Spanish Crown power over Church affairs in the New World, so Spanish missionaries converted many natives to Catholicism.

How did governments acquire more wealth?

To acquire more wealth, governments attempted to achieve a favorable balance of trade, often putting protective tariffs, granting trade monopolies, encouraging investment in new domestic industries, and building roads and canals to further stimulate the national economy.

What caused the Price Revolution?

With the growth of international trade, large population increases, the influx of precious metals into the European economy, and the creation of a world market in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Europe experienced a Price Revolution.

Who prospered and who had difficulty during the Price Revolution?

Workers and farmers who labored for a wage experienced a drop in the standard of living, but estate owners who could raise rents prospered, as did the commercial and industrial entrepreneurs who benefited from increased trade and higher prices and decreased labor costs.