Chapter 14 Exam Review
Potosi
- 1450-1750 : City that developed high in the Andes (In present day Bolivia) at the site of the world's largest silver mine and that became the largest city in the Americas, with a population of some 160,000 in the 1570's. The city arose from a barren landscape, high in the Andes a ten-week mule trip away from Lima. Its size is now equivalent to that of London, Amsterdam or Seville. Its wealthy European elite lived in luxury, with all the goods of Europe and Asia at their disposal. This city sometimes referred to as a "portrait of hell".
"Silver drain"
- 1450-1750 : Term often used, along with "Specie Drain", to describe the siphoning of money from Europe to pay for the luxury products of the East, a process exacerbated by the fact that Europe had few trade goods that were desirable in Eastern markets; eventually the bulk of the worlds silver supply make its way to china. This demand set silver in motion around the world, with bulk of the worlds silver supply winding up in China and much of the rest elsewhere in Asia. Chinese, Portuguese, and Dutch traders flocked to Manila to sell Chinese goods in exchange for silver. The routes operated by this were extraordinarily numerous.
Aruba Suleiman Diallo
- Sold into slavery in West Africa and transported to work on a plantation in Maryland in 1730, this well-educated Muslim became a celebrity in England because of his life story. He returned to his home in West Africa in 1734 after philanthropists bought his freedom.
"Soft Gold"
-1450-1750 : Nickname used in the early modern period for animal furs, highly valued for their warmth and as symbols of elite status; in several regions, the fur trade generated massive wealth for those engaged in it. The profitability of that trade un furs was the chief incentive for Russia's rapid expansion during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries across Siberia, where it of fur- bearing animals was abundant.
Benin / Dahomey-
1450-1750 : A west-African kingdom ( in what is now Nigeria) whose strong kinds sharply limited engagement with the slave trade. A West African kingdom that became strong through its rulers' exploitation of the slave trade.
African Diaspora-
1450-1750 : Name given to the spread of African peoples across the Atlantic via the slave trade. The transatlantic spread of African peoples injected into these new societies issues of race that endure still in the twenty-first century. It also introduced elements of African culture, such as religious ideas, musical and artistic traditions, and cuisine into the making of American culture
Tokugawa shogunate-
1450-1750 : The military rulers of Japan who successfully unified Japan by the early seventeenth century and established a "closed door" policy toward European encroachments. They largely closed their country off from the emerging world of European commerce, although they maintained their trading ties to China and Korea.
How did African authorities seek to take advantage of the new commercial opportunities and manage the slave trade in their own interests?
Africa women experienced slave trade in many ways. The labor of women who remained in Africa increased. There was also an unbalance sex ration which meant less marriages. The slave use of women in Africa also increased because males where being exported. Africa's female slaves provided a source of dependent labor. For some women, the trade allowed women to exercise power and become wealthy. In some areas, African women were involved in polities and would "cross marry" with Europeans. In one region, women could live in a royal palace. One daughter from each family had the opportunity. In the Kingdom of Kongo, women could hold lower-level administrative position. Women could also serve on the council. With less men around, many tribes and groups also were ruled by female rulers.
"China's role in the silver trade is a useful reminder of Asian centrality in the world economy of the early modern era." Provide evidence toward this claim.
Asia's prosperous population, operated within a silver-based economy, fueled global commerce, and quickly increased the quantity of goods exchanged and the geographic range of world trade
Discuss Japan and its relationship to Western outsiders. How were Europeans first received? Describe what changes occurred in the early 17th century.
At first Europeans were faced with a hospitable welcome because of their military technology, shipbuilding skills, geographic knowledge, commercial opportunities, and religious ideas. There was a growth in Christianity and Japan saw Europe as a threat.They expelled Christian missionaries and suppressed Christianity. They banned most European traders as well.
Write down some of the important statistics regarding the slave trade.
Between 1500- 1866, the trade took about 12.5 million people from Africa. IT also deposited about 10.7 million people in the Americas and 1.8 million people died during the crossing from Africa to the Americas.
What drove European involvement in the world of Asian commerce?
Europeans became involved in the Asian commerce because of slave and spice trade
Describe the impact of the fur trade on North American native societies.
Fur trade had a negative effect on the Native Americans because certain species were becoming extinct and the tribes were killing more people because of the European guns that they acquired in the trade. The Native Americans also sold everything they owned to buy brandy and rum. Finally, the Native Americans were given diseases from the Europeans that killed most of their population.
What was the impact of silver on Japan?
Japan used silver generated profits to defeat hundred of rival feudal Lords and unify the country. The shoguns allied with the country's merchant class. The Japanese also tried to slow down their population growth using infanticide , practicing late marriages, abortion, and contraception.
When and where was silver discovered? How was the bulk of Spanish silver transported?
Silver was discovered in the mid-sixteenth century in Bolivia, and simultaneously Japan. The silver was initially transported to Acapulco in Mexico, and then shipped across the Pacific to the Philippines. The trade first directed and made a link between the Americas and Asia. Started a web of Pacific commerce that grew steadily over the centuries
Socially, what groups were slaves drawn from, and what does this tell us? What about the idea of an "African" identity?
Slaves were drawn from various marginal groups in African societies, like prisoners of war, criminals, debtors, people who have been "pawned" during difficult times. This tells us that anyone with little power or low on the social hierarchy became slaves. The people sold into slavery didn't have an African identity, people of a certain city, kingdom, clans, or villages would become slaves.
How did the British and Dutch organize their Indian Ocean ventures?
The British and Dutch organized their ventures through private trading companies, which were able to raise money and share risks among a substantial number of merchant investors.
How did the British East India Company operate in India?
The British were largely excluded from the rich Spice Islands by Dutch monopoly. They established three major trade settlements, Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras. They were no match for the Mughals on land. British couldn't practice "trade by warfare." They made trade bases with the permission of the Mughals.
Discuss the Dutch presence on the Spice Islands.
The Dutch mainly focused on the islands of Indonesia. The Dutch seized control of a number of small spice-producing islands. They killed, enslaved, or left to starve the majority of the population. They also established in Taiwan.
What benefits were there for the Native American peoples who engaged in the fur trade?
The Native Americans were given many rare items that they didn't have access to. Some of the items were spices, guns, tobacco, and alcohol. Also the women that married the European men would be allowed to live a very easy life and they were allowed to own other slaves, given houses, and they could take part in government .
Did the Portuguese participate in peaceful trading? Explain the conditions for Portuguese commercial expansion.
The Portuguese didn't participate in peaceful trading. The European goods were unattractice and they realized others weren't heavily armed. Nobody was in position to dominate the sea lanes. Portugal then saw an opening. They were also more naval adavanced.
In the last chapter we learned about the expansion of the Russian Empire. How did "soft gold" fit into Russia's growth into Siberia?
The Russians were making a lot of money off of fur and at the same time they were giving diseases to the Siberians and that allowed the Russians to enter Siberia.
Why did Spain challenge Portugal's position? Why did the Spanish establish outright colonial rule on the Philippines?
The Spain challenged Portugal because they realized they were being in the race to gain access to the riches of the East. The Spanish established outright colonial rule in the Philippines because there was no authority, close to China and spice islands, small and militarily weak societies, and the absence of competition.
What downside was there to interaction with the Europeans? Be sure to discuss guns, germs, alcohol and trade dependency.
The downside of the interaction with the Europeans was that disease killed most of the Native Americans and the guns that they were given through the trade were used to cause more death among rival tribes. The Native Americans were also going crazy for alcohol and it destroyed their society because it was causing them to sell everything they owned just to buy it.
Where was the growing demand for silver coming from? Identify the various functions silver served around the world.
The growing demand from silver came from China. Silver was used to pay taxes and purchase silk in China. Also used to pay for Asian goods from some European countries. Merchants also used it as a medium exchange
What were the major items of global commerce?
The major items of global commerce were fur, silver textiles, and spices.
What happened to both the supply and demand of furs by the year 1500?
The people in the 1500s went through a period called the Little Ice Age which increased the demand of fur. The prices of fur during that time quadrupled.
For Europeans, what problems accompanied the pattern of trade that went from Indian Ocean to Middle East to Mediterranean?
The problems that rose for Europeans, from the trade from the Indian Ocean to Middle east Mediterranean was the goods were in Muslim hand and where traded with European Christians. They didn't like that the Muslims had a monopoly on the goods.
Describe the competing historical narratives of the relationship between slavery and racism.
The relationship between slavery and European racism has been a debated subject. "racial stereotypes were transmitted, along with black slavery itself, from Muslims to Christians" that formed the relationship between slavery. and racism.
Discuss how silver created a "boom and bust" in the Spanish Empire.
The silver created a "bust or boom" in the Spanish Empire because at the time the Spanish economy relied on silver for profit and what allowed them to dominate. So if the value of silver dropped then their economy and power wouldn't have dropped.
What was the world historical importance of the silver trade?
The silver trade's historical importance made people trade globally. Due to the mine works, many people died, but also many economies rose. The trade also created tension between different groups. The silver trade gave the Europeans something that was of great value throughout the world that other countries wanted.
Describe the ways that silver transformed the world that it touched. Mention: Potosi, European elite, mines, environment.
The silver transformed Potosi which was "a mountain of silver." Silver transformed its economies and the societies of distant lands. It also allowed the city of Potosi to grow. The population increased and became equivalent to London. Natives worked at the mines. The silver later lead to a decline in Potosi. The silver made Spain envy of the European rivals. They could then pursue military ambition.s. When silver dropped, Spain lost their position as being dominant. For every 20 healthy natives on Monday, there were 10 crippled natives after a week. Thousands of people died at works and Spanish south America would later structure for mining operations.
How did the silver-fueled economy provide opportunity?
The silver-fueled economy provided jobs and allowed people to make a few pesos. Spanish women would rent a building they owned for commercial purpose or send their slaves into the sheets as small-scale trades. Other women ran stores, pawnshops, bakeries, and taverns.
How was slavery in the Americas distinctive from previous forms of slavery?
The slavery in America was distinctive from the rest because they immense size of the traffic in slavery was largely based on plantation, agriculture, and how they treated slaves as a form of property, lacking any rights in society or to their owners. Slave statues in america was inherited and little hope of freedom.
There is a common misconception that Europeans used military might to extract slaves. Describe how this is untrue.
This is not true because the Africans could have fought of the Europeans and the Europeans had no immunity to African common diseases. They waited on the coast and purchased slaves from African merchants and political elites.. Europeans tried to exploit African rivalry to obtain slaves and for a low cost
Describe commercial trapping and hunting, and identify the environmental costs to the Americas?
Very few Europeans engaged in a commercial trapping and hunting, they would have the Native Americans get the fur then the Europeans would trade certain items for the fur. Due to the commercial trapping and hunting beavers nearly became extinct in North America.
Identify the various implications the fur trade had on women.
Women gained economic power by making food, utensils, clothing, and decorations from the hides and flesh that were caught. The fur trade also gave women opportunities to get into trading.
Philippines(Spanish)-
an archilago, a group of islands, of pacific islands colonized by Spain in a relatively bloodless process that extended for the century or so after 1565, a process accompanied by a major effort that evangelization; the Spanish named them the Philippine islands in honor of king Phillip II of Spain
How did the slave trade contribute to economic stagnation and political disruption?
by simulating little positive change in Africa because those in Africa who benefited most from the traffic in people were not investing in the productive capacities of their society.
British/ Dutch East India companies-
private trading companies chartered by the governments of England and the Netherlands around 1600; they were given monopolies on Indian Ocean trade, including the right to make war and to rule conquered peoples
Indian Ocean commercial network
the massive, interconnected web of commerce in premodern times between the lands that bordered on the Indian ocean(including Africa, India, and southeast Asia); the network was badly disrupted by Portuguese intruding beginning around 1500