Western Civ 15.1, 15.3, Ch. 16
Who continued the voyage after Henry died in 1460, and where did he reach?
Bartholomeu Dias reached the southern tip of Africa in 1488, and it became known as the Cape of Good Hope because it opened the way for a sea route to Asia.
How did Henry prepare for his voyages?
At Sagres in southern Portugal, he gathered scientists, cartographers, and other experts to redesign ships, prepare maps, and train captains and crews for long voyages.
What are some examples of cultural blending between the Native Americans and the Spanish that took place in Spanish colonies?
Settlers learned Native American styles of building, ate foods native to the Americas, traveled in Indian style canoes, and were influenced by Indian artistic styles. Settlers also taught their religion to Native Americans and introduced many animals, especially the horse, that transformed the lives of many Native Americans.
Who was Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and what did she do?
She was refused admission to the University of Mexico because she was a girl, so she entered a convent at the age of 16. There, she devoted herself to study and the writing of poetry, and she earned a reputation as one of the greatest poets ever to write in the Spanish language.
What were the most valuable resources shipped from Spanish America to Spain?
Silver and gold.
What was the new social structure in Spanish America?
1. Peninsulares- people born in Spain (peninsula=Iberian Peninsula) 2. Creoles- American-born descendants of Spanish settlers 3. Mestizos- people of Native American and European descent, and mulattoes- people of African and European descent 4. Native Americans and Africans
How were the Spanish able to conquer the huge Native American empires when they had so few men?
1. Superior military technology; horses, muskets, cannons, and metal helmets and armor 2. Division and disconnect among the Indians 3. Disease weakened the Aztecs and Incas 4. Many Indians believed that the disasters they suffered marked the world's end; Aztecs believed the destruction of Tenochitlán signaled the end of the reign of the sun god
Who was Francisco Pizarro and where did he go?
Another conquistador; he arrived in Peru in 1532, right after the Incan ruler Atahualpa won the throne from his brother in a bloody civil war. With the help of Indian allies, he captured Atahualpa after slaughtering thousands of his followers.
Who was John Cabot and what did he find?
A Venetian navigator sent out in 1497 by King Henry VII of England. He was sent to find a more northerly route than the one Columbus had charted, and he found rich fishing grounds off Newfoundland, which he claimed for England.
Who was Ferdinand Magellan?
A minor Portuguese noble; in 1519, he set out from Spain with five ships that included men from Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Who was Bartolomé de las Casas and what did he do?
A priest who condemned the evils of the encomienda system. He wrote vivid reports to Spain, detailing the horrors that Spanish rule had brought to Native Americans and pleaded with the king to end the abuse.
What led to the decline of the Mughal empire?
Akbar's successors ended his policy of religious toleration, so conflicts rekindled between Hindu and Muslim princes. Years of civil war drained Mughal resources, so rulers increased taxes, resulting in peasant rebellions. Weak rulers held the throne in the early 1700s, but corruption spread and the central government collapsed.
Who was Robert Clive and what did he do?
An agent of the British East India Company; in India, he used an army of British troops and sepoys to drive the French from their trading posts. The Company then forced the Mughal emperor to recognize its right to collect taxes in Bengal. By the late 1700s, the Company had become the real ruler of Bengal, and used its wealth to spread its influence to other parts of India.
How did the English and French benefit from the decline of the empire?
Both English and French traders played off rival Indian princes against one another. Both the English and French East India companies made alliances with local officials and independent rajahs, and each company organized its own army of sepoys, or Indian troops.
How did other European nations challenge Spanish power?
By the 1500s, the wealth of the Americas helped make Spain the most powerful country in Europe. To get around Spain's strict control over colonial trade, smugglers traded illegally with Spanish colonists. In the Caribbean and elsewhere, Dutch, English, and French pirates preyed on Spanish treasure ships. Some pirates, called privateers, operated with the approval of European's governments.
What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?
By this treaty, in 1494 Portugal claimed Brazil. Portugal issued grants of land to Portuguese nobles, who agreed to develop the land and share profits with the crown. Landowners sent settlers to build towns, plantations, and churches.
What town did the Dutch set up at the southwestern tip of Africa?
Cape Town, where they could repair and resupply their ships.
Who were Jacques Cartier and Henry Hudson and where did they explore?
Cartier was a French captain who explored the St. Lawrence River. Hudson was a Dutch sailor who explored the Hudson River. Neither found the hoped-for route to Asia, and the search for a Northwest Passage continued for centuries.
What new technologies helped Europeans on their voyages?
Cartographers, or map makers, created more accurate maps and sea charts. They used the astrolabe to determine their latitude at sea. The Portuguese developed the caravel, combining European square sails with Arab lateen (triangular sails), making sailing across or into the wind much easier. They also had sturdier cannons.
How did the Netherlands gain power by the 1500s?
Dutch warships and trading vessels put the Netherlands in the forefront of European commerce, and they used their sea power to set up colonies and trading posts around the world.
How did cultures blend in Brazil?
European, African, and Native American patterns were blended. European culture dominated the upper and middle classes, but Native American and African influences left their mark. For example, Portuguese settlers adopted Indian hammocks.
How did disease affect the Native Americans?
Europeans unknowingly brought in diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza to which Native Americans had no immunity. These diseases spread rapidly and wiped out numerous villages. In the 1500s, the population of the Caribbean islands had declined by almost 90%.
How did Native Americans try to resist the Spanish?
For years, Mayas fought Spanish rule. Long after the death of Atahualpa, revolts erupted among the Incas. Throughout the Americas, Indians resisted Europeans by preserving aspects of their own culture, such as language, religious traditions, and clothing.
What role did missionaries play in the colonies?
Franciscan, Jesuit, and other missionaries baptized thousands of Native Americans. In frontier regions, they built mission churches and worked to turn new converts into loyal subjects of the Catholic king of Spain. They forcibly imposed European culture over Native American culture. They introduced European clothing, the Spanish language, and new crafts such as carpentry and locksmithing.
Where else did Spanish forces conquer in South America?
From Peru, they surged across Ecuador and Chile, and before long, Spain added much of South America to its growing empire.
What did French king Louis XIV do in the late 1600s in order to strengthen royal power and boost revenues from his overseas empire?
He appointed officials to oversee justice and economic activities in New France, and he also sent more settlers to North America. Louis, a Catholic, prohibited Protestants from settling in New France.
What did Albuquerque do in order to end Muslim power and turn the Indian Ocean into a "Portuguese lake"?
He burned coastal towns and crushed Arab fleets at sea. The Portuguese attacked Aden at the entrance of the Red Sea and took Ormuz, the gateway to the Persian Gulf. In 1511, he took Malacca and massacred the city's Muslims.
Who was Afonso de Albuquerque and what did he do?
He commanded a Portuguese fleet in 1511 and stopped at Malacca, a rich Muslim trading port that controlled the sea route linking India, Southeast Asia, and China. In Malacca, they opened fire and the Portuguese took the city, killing its inhabitants and seizing its wealth. On the ruins of a mosque, he built a fort.
What did Cortés do after he and his Indian allies captured Tenochitlán in 1521?
He demolished the city and later build Mexico City on the ruins.
What was Prince Henry's goal?
He hoped to expand Christianity and find the source of African gold.
What were Columbus's errors?
He knew the Earth was round, but underestimated its size. He also didn't know that two continents lay in his path.
What did Cortés learn from Malinche about many conquered people and what was Cortés's response?
He learned that many conquered people hated their Aztec overlords (the Aztecs sacrificed thousands of captives each year to their gods). Malinche helped Cortés form alliances with the unhappy groups so that they could fight the Aztecs.
Where did Ferdinand Magellan explore and what did he hope it would lead to?
He reached the coast of South America and explored each bay, hoping that one would lead to the Pacific.
When did Columbus set sail, what were the names of his three ships, and when did he reach land?
He set sail on August 3, 1492 with the Pinta, the Niña, and the Santa María. He reached land on October 12, 1492.
Who did Montezuma think that Cortés might have been?
He thought he might've been Quetzalcoatl, the god-king who had long ago vowed to return from the east. Montezuma sent gifts of gold and silver but urged the strangers to not continue to Tenochitlán, but Cortés led his forces in anyway.
What land did Columbus think he reached and what was it actually?
He thought he was in the Indies, hence the people being called Indians, but he was really on the islands of the Caribbean, which had been previously unknown to Europeans.
Why did Magellan want to continue to push across the Pacific to the East Indies and what was his mistake?
He thought that all they needed was three weeks, then they'd reach the Spice Islands. He underestimated the size of the Pacific, so they sailed the uncharted ocean for nearly four months until they reached the Philippines. There, he was killed, and in the end, only one ship and 18 sailors completed the voyage to Seville.
What did Las Casas do in order to fill the labor shortage?
He urged colonists to import workers from Africa, since they were immune to tropical diseases and had skills in farming, mining, and metal working. The Spanish began bringing Africans as slave laborers to the Americas by the 1530s.
What was Christopher Columbus's goal?
He wanted to reach the Indies (the East Indies in Southeast Asia) by sailing west across the Atlantic from Italy.
Why did Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain agree to help Columbus and fund his journey?
In 1492, Catholic rulers had driven the Muslims from their last stronghold in Spain, so to strengthen their power, Ferdinand and Isabella sought new sources of wealth. Isabella also wanted to spread Christianity in Asia.
Who built the first permanent French settlement in Quebec and who followed soon after?
Samuel de Champlain in 1608; Jesuits and other missionaries soon followed with the hopes of spreading Christianity to Native Americans.
How did Pope Alexander VI settle the dispute between Spain and Portugal over who could claim the lands Columbus explored?
In 1493, he set a Line of Demarcation, dividing the non-European world into two zones. Spain had trading and exploring rights in any lands west of the line, and Portugal had the same rights east of the line.
What occurred on Vasco da Gama's journey?
In 1497, he led four ships around the Cape of Good Hope, and after 10 months, he reached the spice port of Calicut, India. On the way home, the Portuguese lost half their ships and most of the sailors died of hunger, thirst, and scurvy. He did acquire a large cargo of spices in India.
Who discovered Brazil and when?
In 1500, the Portuguese captain Pedro Alvarez Cabral was blown off course while sailing around Africa and ended up in Brazil, which was east of the Line of Demarcation.
What was da Gama's treaty of friendship and how did it benefit the Portuguese?
In 1502, he forced a treaty of friendship on the ruler of Calicut. He left Portuguese merchants in the city to buy spices when the prices were low, and had them store the spices near the dock until the next fleet returned. The Portuguese then seized key ports around the Indian Ocean to create a vast trading empire.
Where did the name "America" come from?
In 1507, a German cartographer read read reports about the "New World" written by an Italian sailor named Amerigo Vespucci, so he labeled the region "America".
Where did Vasco Núñez de Balboa explore and when?
In 1513, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, a Spanish adventurer, hacked a passage through the tropical forests of Panama with the help of Native Americans. He saw a huge body of water and called it the South Sea.
How was the Strait of Magellan discovered?
In 1520, Magellan's ships entered a bay at the southern tip of South America and charted a passage that became known as the Strait of Magellan. The ships emerged into Balboa's South Sea, which Magellan renamed the Pacific (peaceful) Ocean.
Who founded the Mughal dynasty and what was it like?
In 1526, Babur founded the dynasty. European merchants were in awe of India's splendid court and its many luxury goods. There seemed to be nothing of value that the Europeans could offer to Mughal India.
How did the Dutch make themselves the major European power in the east in the 1600s?
In 1641, they captured Malacca from the Portuguese and opened trade with China, and soon after, they were able to enforce a monopoly in the Spice Islands, controlling shipments to Europe as well as much of the trade within Southeast Asia.
What were some acts of intolerance committed by Portuguese missionaries?
In Goa, they attacked Muslims, destroyed Hindu temples, and introduced the Inquisition. They also sank Muslim pilgrim ships on their way to Mecca.
How did the Black Death and the breakup of the Mongol empire disrupt European trade?
In the 12 and 1300s, prior to the Black Death, they traded with Asia for luxury goods, but then the Black Death disrupted trade. By the 1400s, Europe recovered from the plague and the demand for trade goods grew along with the population.
Where did France's empire expand to with the help of Native American allies?
It reached from Quebec to the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi to Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico.
What was the result of the Dutch fleet that returned in 1599?
It returned after a year's absence with pepper, cloves, and other spices. Those who invested in the venture received 100% of the profits. The success of this voyage sparked lots of overseas activity.
Where did Spain's empire cover and what were the most important provinces?
It stretched from California to South America and they divided the land into five provinces, the two most important being New Spain (Mexico) and Peru.
What was the problem with needing plantations to grow sugar?
It was hard to find the large number of workers needed to make the plantation profitable.
Why did Mughal emperors grant trading rights to Europeans?
It was larger, richer, and more powerful than any European kingdom, so emperors didn't see any threat in granting trading rights to Europeans.
Where was the first English colony built and in what year and what was it like in its early years?
Jamestown, Virginia in 1607; in the beginning, many settlers died of starvation and disease, and the rest survived with the help of friendly Native Americans. The colony then started to grow and export tobacco, a crop they learned about form the Indians.
How were the Dutch similar and different than the Portuguese?
Like the Portuguese, the Dutch used military force to further their trading goals. The Dutch were different in that they forged closer ties with local rulers than the Portuguese had. Many Dutch merchants even married Asian women.
Who became Cortés's translator and advisor?
Malinche or, as the Spanish called her, Doña Marina. She knew both the Mayan and Aztec languages and learned Spanish quickly.
What was the chief source of spices?
Moluccas, an island chain in present-day Indonesia, which Europeans then called the Spice Islands.
What happened once Cortés was in Tenochitlán?
Montezuma welcomed Cortés into his capital, but relations between the Aztecs and the Spanish grew strained and the Aztecs drove the Spanish out of the city. Montezuma was killed while fighting, and Cortés retreated to plan an assault.
Who controlled most trade between Asia and Europe in the 1400s?
Muslim and Italian merchants. Muslim traders brought prized goods to eastern Mediterranean ports, and traders from Venice and other Italian cities then carried the precious cargoes to European markets.
Where was France going to in the New World each year in the early 1500s?
Newfoundland, Canada; at first, French rulers paid little attention to New France (Canada) because they were distracted by wars at home.
Who was Hernan Cortés and where did he go?
One of the earliest conquistadors; he landed on the coast of Mexico in 1519 with about 600 men, 16 horses, and a few cannons.
What were the New Laws of the Indies?
Prodded by Las Casas, Spain passed the New Laws of the Indies in 1542, forbidding the enslavement of Native Americans.
What were other European motives besides the desire for wealth?
Some still had the desire to crusade against the Muslims, and others were fueled by the Renaissance spirit of inquiry.
What did Spain do to make its empire profitable?
Spain closely controlled its economic activities, especially trade. Colonists could export raw materials only to Spain and could only buy Spanish manufactured goods. Laws forbade colonists from trading with other European nations or even with other Spanish colonies.
What did Spain do while the Portuguese and Dutch set up bases on the fringes of Asia?
Spain took over the Philippines; Magellan claimed the archipelago for Spain in 1521, and within about 50 years, Spain had conquered and colonized the islands, renaming them for the Spanish king Philip II.
Why did the friendly relations between the Taínos and the Spanish evaporate?
Spanish conquistadors settled on the islands of Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti), Cuba, and Puerto Rico. They seized the gold ornaments made by the Taínos and made them pan for more gold, and they forced the Taínos to convert to christianity.
What were the most valued items and how were they used?
Spices; cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper. They were used to preserve food, add flavor to dried and salted meats, and make medicines and perfumes.
What new raw material was introduced to the West Indies and elsewhere?
Sugar cane; the cane was refined into sugar, molasses, and rum. Sugar cane had to be grown on plantations.
What was India's other main export besides spices?
Textiles; it exported large quantities of silk and cotton cloth, adding to the country's wealth.
How did Europeans seek to gain direct access to the riches of Asia?
The Atlantic powers, first Portugal, then Spain, sought a route to Asia that bypassed the Mediterranean.
Who were the first Europeans to challenge Portuguese domination in Asia?
The Dutch
What was formed by wealthy Dutch merchants in 1602?
The Dutch East India Company.
Who were the Pilgrims, where did they land, and in what year?
The Pilgrims were a band of English Puritans, a Protestant group, who rejected the practices of the official Church of England. They landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.
How did the Philippines become a key link in Spain's overseas trading empire?
The Spanish shipped silver from Mexico and Peru across the Pacific to the Philippines, where it was then used to buy goods in China. Because of this, large quantities of American silver flowed into the economies of East Asian nations.
What group did Christopher Columbus encounter when he first reached the West Indies (the Caribbean)?
The Taíno people; they lived in villages and grew corn, yams, and cotton, which they wove into cloth. They were friendly and generous towards the Spanish.
What spurred Europeans to explore the oceans in the late 1400s?
The desire to share in the rich spice trade of the East.
What contributed to the decline of the Dutch trading empire in the East in the 1700s?
The growing power of England and France.
What did Spain do in order to maintain strict control over its empire?
The king set up the Council of the Indies to pass laws for the colonies. He also appointed viceroys, or representatives who ruled in his name, in each province. Lesser officials and audiencias, or advisory councils of Spanish settlers, helped the viceroy rule. The Council of the Indies in Spain closely monitored these colonial officials to make sure they didn't assume too much authority.
What were today's Netherlands like in the late 1400s-early 1500s?
The land included a group of provinces and prosperous cities on the North Sea. The region had long been a center of handicrafts and trade, but through royal marriages, it fell under Spanish rule in the early 1500s. Later, the Protestant northern provinces won independence.
Why were the New Laws of the Indies not really effective?
The laws were meant to end abuses against Native Americans, but Spain was too far away to enforce them. Many Native Americans were forced to become peons, workers forced to labor for a landlord in order to pay off a debt. Landlords charged them for food, tools, or seeds, creating debts that workers could never pay off in their lifetime.
How did the Portuguese win control of the Indian ocean spice trade and build a trading empire in Asia?
Their ships were small in size and number, but they had shipboard cannons that were unmatched. Their superior firepower helped them gain control and build a Portuguese trading empire.
What did Africans contribute to this cultural blending?
They added to the mix with their farming methods, cooking styles, and crops, including okra and palm oil. Their drama, dance, and song were incorporated in Christian services. In Cuba, Haiti, and elsewhere, Africans forged new religions that blended African and Christian beliefs.
What happened as a result of the struggle between the French and English?
They became locked inn a struggle for global power, and in 1756, war between Britain and France broke out in Europe. The fighting spread to their lands in Asia and the Americas.
What did the colonies do in order to meet the Church's need for educated priests?
They built universities. The University of Mexico was established as early as 1551, and a dozen Spanish American universities were up and running before Harvard, the first university in the 13 colonies, was founded in 1636.
What did Spanish monarchs do in order to find workers?
They granted conquistadors encomiendas, the right to demand labor or tribute from Native Americans in a particular area. The conquistadors used this system to force Native Americans to work under the most brutal conditions. Those who resisted were hunted down and killed. Disease, starvation, and cruel treatment caused a major decline in the population.
Why did the Portuguese remain on the fringe of Asian trade, despite their sea power?
They had neither the strength nor the resources to conquer much territory on land. In India and China, they merely sought permission to trade.
What land did the Portuguese seize first and in what year?
They seized Ceuta on the North African coast in 1415, which sparked the imagination of Prince Henry, or Henry the Navigator.
What island did the Portuguese, under Albuquerque's command, seize after da Gama's voyage?
They seized Goa, an island off the coast of India, in 1510 and made it their major military and commercial base.
What was Spain's other goal aside from gaining land and what did they do to reach their goal?
They wanted to win souls for Christianity. The Catholic Church worked with the colonial governments to convert Native Americans to Christianity. Church leaders often served as royal officials and helped to regulate the activities of Spanish settlers. As Spain's American authority expanded, so did Church authority.
What were colonial cities like?
They were centers of government, commerce, and European culture. Around the central plaza stood government buildings and a Spanish-style church. Broad avenues and public monuments symbolized European power and wealth. Cities were also centers of intellectual and cultural life, and architecture, painting, poetry, and the exchange of ideas flourished.
What were Portugal's military and merchant outposts used for?
They were distant areas under their control, rimming the southern seas. They seized cities on the coast of Africa so they could resupply their ship.
What kinds of jobs did African slaves do?
They were forced to work as field hands, miners, servants to wealthy landowners, peddlers, artisans, artists, mechanics, etc.
What were English, Dutch, and French explorers searching for while Spain and Portugal were claiming their zones?
They were searching the coast of North America for a northwest passage to Asia.
What was Brazil's economy like?
Unlike Spain's colonies, Brazil offered no instant wealth from silver or gold. Early settlers stayed along the coast where they cut and exported brazil wood, which was used to produce a precious dye. They turned to plantation agriculture and cattle raising, and forced Indians and Africans to clear land for sugar plantations. As many as five million Africans were sent to Brazil.
What made the Filipinos easily conquerable?
Unlike most other people of Southeast Asia, they weren't united.
Why was farming abandoned in favor of fur trapping, trading, and fishing in New France?
Wealthy landlords owned huge tracts of land along the St. Lawrence river and they sought settlers to farm the land, but the harsh Canadian climate attracted few French peasants.
