Globalization Exam 1
Black Conquistadors
challenged master narrative, usually don't know that Africans are involved at all, started off as slaves, better offer to go out than be slave, african doesn't always mean slave
governing empire
--need strategic alliances to forge, expand and govern Ottoman empire a center of global commece and embraced jews and christians --Bueracratic governing structures- conqueor nobility and elite ottoman relied on religous, land owning and commercial elite to goern --merit- take exams and if you pass can be part of the buracracy --creating mutually benefcal relaitonships people help you out for privedlges in empire mughal india and its mutli ethnic/religous bueracracy
Reconquista
1492 reconquoring other parts of ibiran penisula from islamic forces- reconquering spain and portugal from muslims marriage of queen isabella to king ferdinand of argon- final expulsion of muslims from Granada
The Letter of Columbus to Luis Santangel- primary source
Background Santangel was interested in Columbus's voyage project He influenced higher ups to help pay for his trip Columbus informs him that he is traveling to the indies soon He reached land and told two of his men to see if the land had a king or any great cities He saw another island Which he dubbed La Spanola He goes in great detail to describe nature Possibly to romanticize things since this guy help fund his trip and if it doesn't sound lit then Columbus will seem dumber than he already is Juana An island he describes He says that there is a lot of gold and other metal there He talks about the people Says that they're naked They have no iron or steel; no weapons He comments on their form of worship Which seems nature-based as they praise the sky The people, obviously, didn't recognize his or his men's' clothing Arrival in the Indies He took some of them by force So that they could learn his speech and give him the information he wanted He calls them timorous people He didn't learn if they had personal property And to him, the women do more work than the men Another island The people have no hair, but they have incalculable gold He plans to bring "Indians" back as witnesses of what he's seen He also believes he's discovered rhubarb and cinnamon He thanks God for his opportunity to set on his voyage
The Caribbean
Caribbean were most desired Privates and privateers It was the most plausible by their means to profit from this region
Columbus's View of America contextual reading
Columbus's career has generated a lot of criticism Fantastic tales and christians views expired his perspective on exploration He used the Bible and the tales of Marco Polo as his compass for navigation Tried to sail to Asia but reached the Americas instead Never acknowledged that he failed in his original goal/ destination He was a merchant trying to generate a profit His voyage was funded by merchants of spain He was familiar with two economic models with trading with areas outside of Europe 1. Portugeese System of factories Established along the african coast Later found out this wasn't as profitable 2. Atlantic islands trade route A european settlement Based on mining and agriculture It made a profit for the portuguese and the madeiras Marriage He marrried Felipa's Moniz Gave him crucial information since his wife's family was included itilian merchnats who achieved high statues He gained access to the portugese royal court Where news of exlporation and discovery took place He visited Ireland and Europe Became familar with the Atlantic islands They were controlled by Castile and portugal He collected a lot of knowledge and reports about the Atlantic while he was there He was impressed by the many stories and fables he heard He learned that a lot of discoveries came from the Atlantic and regions in Africa Those he made the discoveries recieved high honors He devised a plan to sail into Asia to find new territory Spain He requested goods from them Specifically sugar, showing that he has knowledge about its importance in trade Africa Apparently there are numerous accounts of him entering parts of Africa several times Language He knew "Indian" interpreters would be crucial to the success of his expedition He did this by seizing indian men Women would also be used as translators and concubines He wrongly asserted that the language within the indies were essentially similar Marco Polo By reading his accounts, Columbus grew more familiar with the complexity of trade in Asia He commonly used his knowledge on African trade routes and attempted to translate them in order diverse areas Referred to as "The african model" Trading with Asian regions He attempted to trade some goods with them by were received as inappropriate and were rejected as being useless Christianity He converted the natives to christianity Columbus's description His descriptions of the physical setting became more elaborate and more exaggerated as his hopes faded of finding the hub for Asian trade He messed up He entered some islands and had to come to the conclusion that the trade route he desired to find did not exist where he was He reaches Espanola Abandoned his desires on further searching Asia as well as the portuguese model of the factory system Exaggeration He exaggeration the details of his exploration because reputation depended on it He promised gold to the monarchs Point of it all Columbus was not the explorer he was portrayed to be He was an aspiring merchant and explorer enticed by the Bible and fables He ensured gaining a lot of knowledge would give him a better chance of new exploration, especially in Asia Therefore, he failed on a lot of fronts but to save face he exaggerated the details of his exploration in his favor
Selected Entries from the Log- christopher columbus primary source
Columbus's log is the only preserved written account of his four voyages to the Indies Talks about seeing the Muslim King Later mentions seeing the Grand Khan (apparently the prince of India) He's surprised about their following the muslim religion He holds christianity to a higher standard He departs to the Canaries Once he reaches land he described seeing "naked" and "beautiful" people They people carried javelins, spun cotton and other objects He wanted to see if they had gold Some wore gold as nose rings The people were also willing to trade their goods for any object offered by the europeans He goes on to describe the beauty of the islands through the lens of another person (the Admiral) Huge mountains, large rivers etc. The Admiral Saw some natives but they were scared of him He subdued one of them and explained that he was merely there for gold They called gold nucay They also communicated through gestures He notices that they follow a religion unique to his And they also walk around naked He says that the people have very good customs and treats one another well The Natives Took care of the admiral and others They brought herbs to clean their hands as well as drinking water Conclusion Essentially, the europeans gush over their success as they sail to other areas They look at their work through a theological lens, believing they're doing good as Christians
Locate these on map
Timurid Empire Mughal Empire Safavi Empire Russian Empire Hasbugh Empire Songhai Empire Mali Empire
La Malinche/ Dona Marina
Tlaxcala gift La Malinche and 19 others to Hernan Cortes (alliance against the Aztecs) 15th and 16th century
conclusions about empire building and spanish empire
Empire building relied on patron-client relationships to form sectoral alliances with local networks Race not yet a significant factor in organizing society Indigenous peoples as allies and enemies Indigenous peoples as "noble savages" African and african descended peoples as brethren comrades, conquistadores, and slaves There is no one way to look like an empire, even if we are looking within one empire Empire, superiority, and control are much imagined as it is real From a european perspective, this is a whole new world From an indigenous perspective, this was part of a longer history of conquest, colonization, and empire building
Os Lusiadas- primary source
Fictional epic of Vasco Da Gama's voyages his voyages portrayed as fantastical describes african states as being attracted by simple items and used these items to woo them and then attack them traded beads and got ran out of town North africa very different from west africa east africa- Gama thought they were more civilized- arabic, more wealthy, basically had nothing of value to trade with, forcing their way to trade like pirates because they already had riches so didn't want to trade anything- Gama started taking over as much as he and portugues could trade looked different depending on the resources of the people Antagonistic towards north africa belittled in east africa set up trade with west africa source is very romanticized
The Andes
Inca empire (as well as peru)
Black conquistadors primary sources (biographies and petition of Juan Garrido to the Spanish crown)
Juan Garrido served the spanish crown for 30 years He is a man of color and a resident of mexico He has been serving them since the Cortes conquest He has received little for his efforts He married a woman from the land He has done things for his majesty that he did not even have to do He requests a petition for his efforts Table 1 Consists of biological patterns of selected black conquistadors It gives minimal detail of them Some of their birthplace and status is unknown Table 2 Specifically outlines the biography of Juan Garrido Has his birth Where he has participated in his conquest Timeline of his residency Mexico Timeline of his occupation From building a chapel to heading a gold mine expedition Table 3 Specifically outlines the biography of Juan Garcia Says he was born free but not certain of his specific heritage Outlines his specific locations of residency over the years Outlines occupation Outlines family affairs Mentions him having an illegitimate daughter Table 4 Juan Valiente Uncertain about his birthplace "Probably born in Africa" Outline his career and accomplishment Became captain Outlines family Mentions his marriage to an ex-slave women He was killed by natives His son got his inheritance
On the Causes of Just War with the Indians
Juan Sepulveda A spanish philosopher and theologian He defended the spanish conquistadors' right of conquest The moral justification of colonization And the necessary evangelization of New Spain He based his argument off of european natural law Which presumes an inherent order in the world Which is dominated by Christians Bartolome de las Casas Opposed Sepulveda's views He witnessed the brutality of colonial conquest Opposed violence toward indigenous people in New Spain He returned to europe to advocate for the life of Native Americans Sepulveda's outlines justification He uses the Aztecs as an example since there is claim that they are the most civilized He mocks their commonwealth He says that almost everything goes to their king They live as servants and he a great portion from both their livelihood and following their death He rejects their religion Says that their sacrifices are unnecessary And that they worship the Devil as God Essentially, they need to be conquered by pious european christians
Dutch Empire
Locate on map
French empire
Locate on map
Kingdom of the Kongo
Locate on map
Inca Empire
Locate on map Cuzco, Peru imperial rulers, not homogenous ethnic group- different ethnicities, religions, etc. policy of colonization, integration and assimilation- local leaders brought to Cuzco, Inca representatives and religious figures sent across the empire development of imperial infrastrucure through the mita system of tribute- set amount of time per year, pay tribute through labor - use this money to build roads etc. build infrastructure and exchange culture in order to build empire
Aztec Empire
Locate on map Mexico earlier empire was Toltec-1100s-1175 Mexica people orginated in aztlan, moved to tenochititlan in 1325 rise of aztec empire in 1430s, very civilized and advanced- lots of gold and jewels imperial rulers, not homogenous ethnic group triple alliance between Tenochitlan, Texoco and Tlacopan highly stratified but informal rule, focused on tribute hostility and rebellion the norm in Aztec empire- not happy with how the three alliance ruled
Atlantic African Islands
Madeira (1418) accidental settlement after a storm The Azores (1427) discovered by diogo de Siles Cape Verde Islands (1440s-1460s) initially not attractive to europeans Sao Tome and Principe (1485) varied migrants To mobilize and refuel armies easily and efficiently Strategic points as exploration continues
Hernan Cortes
Main Spanish conquistador of the Aztec Empire
Gold and Silver
WHAT EVERYONE WANTED motivated kings to send explorers out, motivated explorers to go out themselves- looking for wealth which was quantified to Europeans as gold and silver- desire to gain wealth before sugar, gold and silver were the big things if they couldn't find gold and sugar, tabacco mexico and peru had lots of gold and silver world's weath finite so should accumulate all of it as quickly as possible (mercanilism)
Marco Polo primary source: The Travels of Marco Polo
Marco Polo (1254-1324) envisions gold and spices in Asia Kain-du A western providence that was formerly subject to its own princes, but is now ruled by the grand khan who now makes all the decisions The setting of Kain-du The people are described as idolaters The area is vast with many cities A great quantity of jewels and other materialistic luxuries A great number of mines More on the inhabitants Great connection with their women But on the contrary, are obligated or should give up their wives and daughters to male strangers The male visitor is considered the current master until he departs In turn, the males who have showed great "hospitality" are believed to be rewarded with blessings (including generous supplies of fruit) The currency They have an established currency with the use of gold They craft their money by using salt springs They have other less forms of currency Ex: the stamp of the grand khan The gudderi The animals of the land (an abundant amount) Cloves He speaks fondly on the vegetation of the land He deems this place as "worthy of observation" Primary source: Marco Polo and John Mandeville describe Mongol Empire as kind because they're traveling, welcomed, travelers can go into people's homes- take note of environment, salt springs that creates an economy- stuck in Eurocentric mindset brings biases to his experiences to empire also writing this for people to read- what would an audience want to hear? very subjective- not everyone would be welcomed that way why is he writing and to who and what biases does he bring? talks about riches- looking for resources to expand encounters aren't neutral- always intentional- creating trade networks MP has access that the average person wouldn't have thats why he empeheces gold and jewels and spices implications of these narratives: motivates others to travel to these places, more effective routes to Asia, translated to the masses, exotifying and patronizing cultrual represntations of the East by the west- orientalism Kain-du A western providence that was formerly subject to its own princes, but is now ruled by the grand khan who now makes all the decisions The setting of Kain-du The people are described as idolaters The area is vast with many cities A great quantity of jewels and other materialistic luxuries A great number of mines More on the inhabitants Great connection with their women But on the contrary, are obligated or should give up their wives and daughters to male strangers The male visitor is considered the current master until he departs In turn, the males who have showed great "hospitality" are believed to be rewarded with blessings (including generous supplies of fruit) The currency They have an established currency with the use of gold They craft their money by using salt springs They have other less forms of currency Ex: the stamp of the grand khan The gudderi The animals of the land (an abundant amount) Cloves He speaks fondly on the vegetation of the land He deems this place as "worthy of observation"
Iroquois
Native people in North America beneficial trade with English, French and There was a rivalry Making treaties because of different reasons on both parties They helped one another for their personal benefits Align yourself with the seemingly powerful nation to better your struggling people
Empires establish new forms of interactions
New commercial networks of exchange large scale migration world wide biological exchange (life and death)- intermarriage, sexual encounters, spread of disease transfers of knowledge (cultural, religious, etc)- what begins to dominate in a time and place
The "New World"
North America and parts of central and south america new to Europeans but not new because already empires and people there- inca in Peru and aztec in Mexico Europeans wanted to explore this land in hopes of finding gold and silver but none- tabacco instead and agriculture sig- perspective matters, new world to who?
Pilgrims of Massachusetts
North america as colonial periphery- explorers and merchants wanted gold, North American didn't have any focused on mexico and peru because they had gold and silver settled in North America at first mostly for defence inspiration of European new comers: England, france, and holland Explorers and merchants were like everybody else: they wanted riches and a better life Legend of El Dorado Colombia Venezuela Guianas Black Legend Narrative of atrocities of what Spanish are doing to indigenous peoples
spanish vs. portugues empires
Portuguese: A sea Empire, enforcing exclusive use of the South Atlantic and Indian oceans. Sources of wealth were the spice trade, African slave trade and sugar cane plantations. Colonial presence was mainly coastal by design. It reflected the maritime nature of the empire and intended to facilitate military intervention from the sea. Indigenous inhabitants in the American colony (Brazil) were semi nomadic tribal societies. They were either assimilated by Portuguese society or driven away, but were not used extensively as source of labour. Spanish: A land empire covering most of western North and South America. Sources of wealth were primarily precious metal mining, using indigenous American forced labour. Colonial presence was inland by design. It was intended as a military occupation aimed at controlling settled, urban societies. Indigenous inhabitants were part of settled empires. The Spanish literally killed the elite of these societies and placed themselves as the new rulers, leaving many of their institutions intact.
Indian Ocean World
Silk road and indian ocean trade Huge Opened up world for trade Indian ocean world existed before the silk road (around 7th century) Alternate ways to view interconnectedness outside of empires (eg Indian ocean world)
A True and Exact History of Barbados
Slaves: - slaves treated better than indentured servants- indentured servants kept for around 5 years so didn't really have to invest in them- slaves fed better, better housing conditions, etc. -slaves eat fruit and water- no bread or drink -they sleep on a board with nothing else over them or under them - "they are happy people, who so little contents" Servants: -depends on if the master is nice or mean- if mean, the servants have really bad lives -usually harsh living conditions - "if they complain, they are beaten by the overseerer, if they resist, their time is doubled" - talks about the really messed up things overseers have done to their servants- things he didn't know a christian could do to another Christian -treatment of servants starts to get better with new overseerers- they get to eat meat sometimes and live in warmer places -Plan made by the servants to kill the masters and make themselves masters of the island because they can't take the harsh treatment anymore -masters found out and killed the servants who devised the plan -slaves all speak different languages so its almost impossible for them to join together and revolt -buy the slaves from the ship- slaves are naked -choose them like horses- strongest and most beautiful and youthful get the greatest prices -buy equal number of men and women so they can marry each other -these slaves working on sugar plantations- start of what we think of as normal slavery where slaves are acquired and work for profit - have sundays off to rest
Mandeville
Who: fictional character created by a group of writers Where: Modern day india, also modern day china When: around the same time as Marco Polo (1200's) slightly later Significance:
Marco Polo
Who: italian traveler, trying to expand commercial connections with Asia Where: Traveled most of Mongol Empire When: 1254-1324 Significance: wrote travel narratives that inspired other travels to expand moving across asia and recording his narative- height of mongol empire
Defining empire
an empire is born when disparte polities or peoples become subordinate to a dominant polity. political entity creates political, cultural etc networks and ties absorbs other entities into empire- polity has authority over those absorbed
Huron
beneficial alliance with france- fur trade and defense
the fragmented world 1400
black death killing everyone western euope included 500-600 co-existing politites eastern europe and central asia included 30 states southeast asia -22 independent states
"The Indians' Old World: Native Americans and the Coming of Europeans" (Contextual Reading)
States that Indians are as crucial to the history of colonial America as europeans are However, most historians continue to represent American history as having been set in motion by the arrival of european explorers and colonizers They neglect to recognize the background of colonial history Which starts with the natives Colonial history before the europeans Recognizing native culture, communities, political designations and so on Thesis of the article: how will indian history in the colonial period be affected? How will others read it? Preventing the european narrative from completely overshadowing their history Indian The term was famously dubbed by Columbus Just further shows how the european language skews our perception Native history There's archeological evidence of natives dwelling in North America since the Ige age period They developed systems Food economics Which permitted them to inhabit permanent year-long village Goods The hopewell people They imported copper, mica, shell and other raw material Agricultural Knowledge and application it had spread from the eastern woodlands to the southwest Mississippian societies Group of natives that consisted of fortified political and ceremonial centers and outlying villages Cahokians They had a combination of rich soil and nearby wooded uplands they had one of the most elaborate social structure yet seen in North America Chaco Phenomenon A multifaceted network It controlled the distribution of precious water It entailed the mobilization of labor for public work projects and food production Mississippian Societies vs. Cahokians Mississippians Characterized by more frequently shifting alliances and rivalries that prevented any one center from becoming as powerful as Cahokia Europeans Were anything but uniformly successful in realizing their goals However, a combination of demographic and ecological advantages along with Native assistance enabled their success Overall European success meant the overshadowing of native american development and history in North America prior to and during the colonial period
Squanto
Story of Squanto Taken as a slave from an earlier expedition His captives take him to england -Why he is able to speak english He is later released, hops on a ship and ends back up in America When the europeans come at Bay He helps He's interested in his own survival So assisting them is mutually beneficial
Sugarcane
Sugar plantations were a primary factor in the growth of african chattel slavery The sugar revolution facilitated the change from early modern slavery to atlantic chattel slavery The Sugar Revolution (17th century) Traveling sugar plantations and technology Atlantic african islands (1440s-80s) Columbus's Caribbean Voyages Portuguese Brazil (early 1500s) Factors in rise of african slavery Dutch merchants Slave ports in west africa Learned sugar technology in brazil (1630s) Rise of caribbean sugar (1640s barbados) Demand for labor to keep up with the demand of sugar Mix of indigenous slavery, european indentured servitude, and african slaves Taught the english and french how to grow sugar This would create a surplus
The Beginning of the Portuguese-African Slave Trade in the Fifteenth Century- primary source
The Prince (Henry the Navigator) His people asked him for permission to go find stuff where the Moorish captives came from Mentions the very qualified captains of the ship These *****s arrived at the Moorish village They lowkey scared so they're hesitant on what to do They eventually met the moor people Murderous fight broke out and these dudes deadass captured 165 of the moorish people White ppl crazy They actually praised God for their victory They began filling up the boat with their supplies Including the captured people as cargo They found another bit of land where the moor people inhabited and where many escaped during the earlier attack They entered the village and looked through their homes They found and women and actually took them with them They decided on a later idea to attack other settlements before daybreak They went to attack the people but the smart Moors were like nah and went to a location further away to avoid dying by these murderous hooligans They did, however, find a number of the moor people on canoes trying to dip They ended up capturing a number of them while some of the moors were forced to perish by sea They returned to their land with the moor people This pleased their prince They used some of the moor people as religious offerings They began to set off on another voyage They start to divide the people, not even slightly caring about kinship And of course the captured people were crying The captured people apparently became Christian after learning the English language lots of violence with islamic people justified by christianity- religon played a big part went straight to conquring- no contact first with village
Mercantilism
The world's wealth was finite, gold and silver needed to be accumulated Overseas colonies existed solely to enrich European mother country Emphasis on exports over imports Colonies forbidden to trade with competitors (which would drain money from the mother country) Built on alliances with merchants
Bein, Sapi, and Kongo
comes from imaging otherness primary source all interacted with portugues expansion- portugues in West Africa sapi: never encountered any pourtugues, so represented less accurately in their writings benin: had more contact so their writings were more accurate- 1486 official trade relations established with the kingdom of benin in pepper, ivory, stone beads, textiles, and slaves Kong: 1480s official trade relations established with the kingdom of the kong in exchange for firearms
Barbados
conquered by the british big part of the sugar revolution slaves in barbados consisted of european endentured servants, african slaves, and indegious slaves
colonialism
conquest, colonization and warefare how the gov. gets set up, how do you become part of empire the set of practices and policies implemented by imperial agents to obtain and maintain control, stablity, economic objectives
Small Pox
disease that europeans gave to the people they encountered effected conquest- everyone just dying- exterminated large portions of indigenous populations
Early modern empires (after the fall of Mongol)
emerged from desire to control commerce and trade- wealth used new technologies of war like gun powder to expand their reach needed to fund conquest and expansion through commerce and tribute payments, necessitating further expansion empires centralized their rule and created state apparatises (bureaucracy to govern their expansive holdings and collect tribute) empires often legitimized via religion- mobilize people to fight on behalf of your empire for a religious reason add more
Centrality of empire in forging global connections
empire as a central lens to understanding global interactions empire building as a process characterized by warfare and expansion empire building confined to practical constraints- money, man power, geography empires establish new forms of integration
Prestor John
fabled christian kingdom of "prestor John" in the "indies" as described by John Mandeville Atlantic Islands of Western Africa - rich, christian community, river that comes from paradise one of the factors for portugues explorations
Portugues empire
factors in Portuguese explorations: desire to be bigger player in the world- small country limited and expensive trade opportunities desire to be part of the lucrative spice trade desire to be partner with the fabled christian kingdom of prestor john in the indies as described by sir john mandeville looking for alternative routes to get to these places because can't go through med sea -Very violent when dealing with islamic North Africa- slave raids and attacks, more violent conquest, worse than in west africa -west africa- intermingling with portugues, more connections, less violent- interested in trade with P because they need labor to expand- use Africans as "slave labor", religion- not hated islamic people- not automatically hated early period of interaction and negotioan for mutual betterment trade looked different depending on the resources of the people Antagonistic towards north africa belittled in east africa set up trade with west africa empire decentralized by necessity, because of vast distances and unique local conditions
Mongol empire (1200)
fairly small central asia nomadic people needed to find food for animals to graze- expanded to get food for animals- became a massive empire- became largest land empire in global history through 13th century allowed culture of people to stay intact- built trust with empire, very brutal in conquest and then lenient after that centrality of empire in forging global connections mongol empire grew to be largest land empire over 13th century 14th century fall of empire: empire divided, hard to govern, beginning around 1368 when Ming Dynasty in China claimed independence from Mongol rule black death- (1339-1350) 75-200 million people dead in Eurasia , 20-60% of population died death was primary reality- no one was immune rise and fall of the timurid Empire- early 1660s-1500 amir timur claimed to be the sucessor of the mongol empire who would restate the empire of khan- fell b/c of internal struggles in holding the empire together
Captives/Prisoners of War
for a while, slaves were only acquired through captives or prisoners of war
Dutch East India Company
funded trips in the hopes of finding wealth in the new world 1601
Zheng He
his voyages took place in early 1400s imperial extension of already vast network for luxury goods for China- ivory, gold, exotic animals (Ming explorer) Enslaved when Ming Dynasty expanded into Southern China Eventually ascended to one of the greatest Ming explorers Charter Generation of African American slaves
Imperialism
ideas, ideologies and motives for expanding and empire building territial, nationalist, ethnic greatness/superioroty- we are better so we expand and make others do it our way religious motivation- empire is sanctioned by God theory of organizing the politcal and social structures of empires- how you govern motivations relate cultural and religious views- an ideology or doctrine in support of creation and maintenance of empire- ways the empire sees itself and defends their empire
the role of religion
imperalism- motivvations for empire building religion takes an importance during times of hardship and confusion- used to help understand the unexplainable (death of black plague) used to justify empire building and expansion- Ottoman Empire- since mohammed II regarded the empire as the singular guardians of the islamic orthodoxy- islamic rival to safari empire exception: ming china- had a cohesive state prior to being conquered- no need to justify because already existed first
realities of conquest and impact of disease in conquering carribean
trial and error in the carribean failed expeditions- initial fleet to colonize florida wasn't sucesful becaue of a hurricane- wandered for 8 years, four survivors left encountered highly hierarical indigenous infrastructure indigenous alliances and differing ideas of war erased histories of indigenous women as concubines, slaves and intermediaries impact of disease: carribean had 90-100% mortality rate Mexico, Andes and Central America had 80% mortality rate, no match to defend against disease- got these sicknesses from the Spanish
Sir John Mandeville primary source: The Travels of Sir John Mandeville
jews paid tribute to queen of Amazons Sir John Mandeville's Tales of Travel Talks about the kingdom of Cadhilhe (which is Korea) Talks fondly of the food there as well as the vegetation Description of the environment Describes Uber (the hills of Caspian) Talks about the a cultural myth Where King Alexander prayed to God and God ended up closing the hills together Comments that the people struggle to distinguish between sea and a lake Continues a myth Where the Jew have no land except the hills and prays to the Queen of the Amazons for protection The Jews have no shelter, no weather and can only speak Hebrew so they cannot speak to other men for help The Jews circumstance is due to a past conflict between the Christians and preventing harm between the two parties Land of Bactria Goes on tangent about diverse animals he sees Foxes, lions, hippopotami Prester John Emperor of India His land is called the isle of Pentoxere Crafted a castle called Paradise The land of India is divided into two different isles Great Khan of Cathay Has a wealthier land than Prester John Has spices, golden cloth and other riches And they don't trade with the Pentoxere because of the difficult travel by sea City of Hermes For the merchants who do go through the land of merchants Goods: wheat, barley, millet, rice, honey, milk, cheese and fruits Also have parrots who "speak just like men" Prester John and Great Khan Have allied marriages through sisters and daughters More on Prester John He and his kingdom are a Christian community Myth about a river that comes from Paradise The river leads to this plains of land Apparently a sun emerges and many goods follow only to disappear once the sun sets Prester John's palace My guy has mad money Two balls of gold and whatnot Vale of Enchantment Where devils, demons and things of that nature dwell Some brazy supernatural ish Good men and evil men will fear crossing this path for vengeance of God We endure and go through a lot by God has us Beyond the valley An isle full of nude people They ain't living in no houses Pilgrims are sacred to enter this area Another isle of cruel and wicked women Another isle of women with great sorrow who mourn the lives of their children following their death The isle of the King Has the elect They chose the people with the best character Talks about a crocodile Mentions the serpent devouring men Continues to go on and on about animals that he can either identify or vaguely describe
English Empire
locate on map
Ottoman Empire
locate on map
Ming Empire/Dynasty
locate on map 1368 - ming dynasty in china claimed independence from mongol rule one of the causes of the Mongol empire falling apart
Spanish Empire
locate on map Spanish conquistadors- inspired by writings of columbus- his word orginially taken as fact 5 myths: discovery: columbus and conquistadors are mythologized in our telling of history but they were actually just regular people like everyone else- influenced by the world around them new world myth: what makes it new and from whose perspective? to europeans the US was completely new- didn't know anything about it- but there were already people in latin america, carribean and north america- aztec and inca empires already a thing- took them over Superiority: necessity of developing this myth to justify conquest, colonization and forced labor myth of exceptional european men: Spanish victories bolstered the mythology of their own superiority spain had wealth but little power in europe so this added to the idea of them being more powerful in other parts of the world myth of complete colonization : spanish empire (or any empire) is never as cohesive as maps tell you power of maps in shaping an empires/nations imagination and world view Colonization depended on location and the indigenous peoples encountered In other words, colonization depended on local conditions more than european desires Colonization of indigenous peoples depended on PRACTICALITY Incorporated peoples Tainos of the Greater Antilles Aztecs of central mexico Incas of the Andes Frontier peoples (on the outskirts of colonial control) Maya of the Yucatan peninsula Spanish crown largely uninterested in these areas Autonomous peoples (outside of colonial control) Caribs of the Lesser Antilles (autonomous until mid 17th cent)
Indentured Servantide
major of jamestown 20 were indentured servants fixed period of labor- not for life arguable that they were treated worse than slaves because they didnt really have to care about keeping them good couldn't enslave your same people but could be indentured servants
empire building process of continued negotiation and contestation
not an entity that suddenly appeared build on what already existed and what came before glob began with a quest for power- political and economic growth and success mediated by practical constraints and pragmatic choices
Eurasia (1200)
not much interaction between areas
Gunpowder
one of the characteristics of early modern empire New technologies of war to expand Gunpowder Necessary to fund conquest and expansion Taxes via commerce and tribute For wealth to grow, empires must continue to grow around 15th century
Tabacco
plantations started in North America when explorers realized there wasn't gold or silver but they could do agriculture well.
Vasco Da Gama
portugues traveler first voyage- 1497-1499 his voyages were portrayed as fantastical- hadn't seen anything like it before added to the travel narratives that kept expansion moving forward
Silk Road
portugues? what: overland trade routes- interconnected overland routes that allowed goods from asia to be avalible to Europe/middle east sig: expensive to travel on, lots of merchants and middle men selling from one leg of the trade to another- adding to interconnectedness of world
Black Death
reduced the world population from approximately 450 million to 350 million people fragmented the world no one was immune- affected all people carried by rats given by Europeans to the people they encountered
Spanish Conquistadors
see spanish empire
Slavery
slaves only gotten through war- product of war, not cause of war could only enslave the "other" not based on race happened everywhere until sugar revolution- then people started buying slaves- became more racially based- heavy in Barbados
Christopher Columbus
started in 1492 exaggerates the number of people who can be conquered by christianity in his writings- describes everyone as weak world view: christian tradition, european and african environments and experiences, merchant capitalism and trade, fanciful tales of exotic places, biblical tales of exotic places, practical observations of mariners and scholars influenced by the writings of Marco Polo and the bible- drew on his experiences as a navigator on portugues expeditions on the African Coast- desire for profit, influenced by ideas of merchant capitalism, wrote for sepciic audiences- sell your experience to those who will pay for it- depicted natives as primative, childlike, and innocent- ripe for enslavement
Imagining Otherness contextual reading
surveys Africans artistic portrayals of Europeans Reaching west africa Europeans in ended up in Ghana Became aware of its Gold and art Carvings made of ivory, however, was the most highly valued Ivory Would be used in Europe for statues Shows that the development of europe originates with artifacts and goods taken from other countries Kongo They describe the Europeans as white in color, speaking an unintelligible language, and possessing superior technology Compared their color of relatives "who had gone to the village of the dead" The white men, then, were viewed as the ancestors of the villagers of the dead Their armed instruments and riches demonstrated their power Benin Another place the portuguese touched The portuguese were thought of as liminal beings In the realm between beings humans and spirits They thought the were the living dead, likely due to their skin color Olokun They Olokun, the god of the sea, with the whites because of both their travels to their land as well and the god's association with the color white Sierra Leone The color is associated with the spiritual world and the world of the dead the dead are believed to cross over a body of water in order to reach the world of the ancest Kongo, Benin and Sierra Leone All believed that the white portuguese came from a nether world of spirits and the dead Though they had similar perceptions of the portuguese as ancestral beings from another world, each depicted the portuguese and the lands from which they came in unique and divergent ways Kongo Ivories: spatial frames, spirals and textile maps Elephant tusks were good Spirals Were used to compose hats Textiles Significant in Kongo daily and ritual life Served as a currency for taxation Used for cloth to bury the dead Benin: Foreign features, fish foams, and femininity Used ivory to craft their representations of the portuguese Often displayed in active poses Angels and fish Also reinforce the association of the Portuguese with movement, water and otherworldly realms The portuguese, again, are believed to have a connection with Olokun, the water god The portuguese weaponry, including swords and rifles, add to the notion of their power Augments the association between them and Olokun The Mudflish The mudfish's droopy gills are compared to the portuguese's long hair and other physical features Femininity Marriage is seen as a transfer of wealth with the production of life Sapi: Janus Imagery and Water Related foreign motifs include angels, unicorns, rosettes, family arms, crosses, fleurs-de-lys, mermaids, harpies, centaurs, griffins, sphinxes etc. and religious scenes such as the Virgin and the Child Some of the imagery the Sierra Leone artists portrayals suggest that a number of them might not have met the europeans firsthand Descriptions, then, can be inconsistent Tusks and the Slave Trade Human life (the slave's life) and an elephant's life (ivory tusks) were roughly equivalent
Spanish Requerimiento
what the spanish conquistadors read to the people they conquered- claiming the land in the name of spain only in spanish so they couldn't understand anyway forced to convert or they would make war and enslave them inviting at first but very threatening have to obey or else so they could say they warned them but really they didnt primary source: An essential part of the ritualization of Spanish conquest of the Americas The document is read as Spanish conquistadors addressing it to the indigenous people that they encounter The explain that God created everything St. Peter Says that God gave him power And that man should obey him Aggressively informs the natives to adhere and embrace Christianity and God And if they don't or take too long then the conquistadors will be "forced" to attack and make slaves of them Plans to take away their goods And if they don't covert death will be their consequence Keep in mind that the indigenous people don't speak english So these jerks plans to attack and kill them regardless This is just a dark, convoluted document that "justifies" their actions
Anazsii/Pueblo People
who: what: where: when: sig:
English West India Company
who: what: where: when: sig:
Mesoamerica
who: what: where: when: sig:
Trans- Saharan Trade
who: what: where: when: sig:
Brazil
who: Portugues empire part of sugar revolution dutch merchants learned sugar technology here early 1500s
