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The Age of Exploration & Conquest 15th & 16th Centuries Causes for Exploration • “God, Glory, Gold” primary motives – Rise of nation states (new monarchs) resulted in competition for empires & trade • Portugal & Spain tried to break the Italian monopoly on trade with Asia – Capitalist investments in exploration – Religious desire to convert pagan peoples • Renaissance: search for knowledge • Technological advances – Magnetic compass – Quadrant & astrolabe – Ships • • • • Portugese Caravel Sail & rope riggings Axial (side) rudder Gunpowder & cannons • Motives Portugal – Economic: route to Asia for spice trade – Religious: find mythical Prester John for an alliance against the Mulsims • Prince Henry the Navigator – Financed expedition to Africa to find gold • Bartholomew Dias – Rounded the tip of Africa (1488) • Vasco de Gama – Expedition to India (1498) • Amerigo Vespucci More Portugal – Explored Brazil • 1st European to realize that he had discovered a new continent • “America” named after him • Brazil – Portugal’s major colony – In the 1600’s, large # of slaves from Africa imported for production of coffee, cotton, & sugar – Significant racial mixture between whites, Amerindians, & blacks resulted Spain: Explorers • Christopher Columbus – Ferdinand & Isabella financed his expedition – 1492: reached the Bahamas – 4 expeditions • Charted most of the Caribbean & Honduras (central America) • Bartholomew de las Casas – Publicly criticized the ruthlessness with which Columbus treated the Amerindians • Treaty of Tordesillas – Spain wanted to secure Columbus’ discoveries – Provisions: • • • • • • New world divided by Spain & Portugal Requested by Pope Leo V Portugal go the slave trade rights North-south line drawn in the Atlantic Spain – west of the line Portugal – east of the line More Spanish Explorers • Vasco Nunez de Balboa – Discovered the Pacific Ocean • Ferdinand Magellan – His ship was the first to circumnavigate the globe • Spanish conquistadors – Began creating empires by conquering Indians • Hernando Cortes – conquered the Aztecs in Mesoamerica • Francisco Pizarro – conquered the Incas in modern-day Peru Golden Age of Spain • Outright conquering entire regions & subjugating their populations • Mercantilist philosophy – Colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country – Gold/silver most important • 25% of the crown’s total income • 1545 – opening of world’s richest silver mine at Potosi in Peru – Discouraged native industries to avoid competition • Structure Spanish Empire – Divided into 4 vice-royalties – Each led by a viceroy • Encomienda System – Motive: Spanish gov. sought to reduce the savage exploitation of Amerindians in the Spanish empire – System: Amerindians worked for an owner a certain # of days/week but retained other parcels of land for themselves – Major reason Spain imported few slaves from Africa • Mestizos: Children of mixed white & native American descent • Creoles: Spanish born in New World to Spanish parents Africa & Asia “Old Imperialism” • Characterized by establishing posts & forts on the coasts – not going inland – Not conquering entire regions or subjugating their people – Sharp contrast to New World • Portugal – Da Gama set up trading posts in India – Alphonso d’Albequerque made coastal regions a base to control Indian Ocean – Established an empire in Spice Islands (Indonesia) 1510 – Francis Xavier led Jesuit missionaries to Asia • thousands had been converted to Christianity in India, Indonesia, & Japan by 1550 • Dutch East India Company – Founded 1602 – Took Ceylon & Spice Islands from Portugal – By 1650: began challenging Spain in new world The Slave Trade (asiento) • First introduced to Brazil by the Portugese at sugar plantations • Dutch West India Company began transporting slaves to New World after 1621 • England’s Royal African Co. entered slave trade in late 17th century (to Caribbean & N. America) • By 1800 – blacks made up 60% of Brazil’s population & 20% of the U.S. population • 50 million Africans died or became slaves in the 17th & 18th centuries The Columbian Exchange • Both Europe & the New World were transformed as a result of the exchanges between the 2 regions – For Europeans: improved diet, wealth, rise of global empires – For the Amerindians: catastrophic results • Disease – Between 1492 & 1600 approx. 90% of the Amerindian population perished – Lacked immunities to European diseases – Smallpox was biggest killer – Syphilis most significant disease transmitted to Europeans More Exchanging… • Diet – For Europeans, a revolution in diet due to the importation of new plants • The potato – most important new staple crop • Also, maize (corn), pineapples, tomatoes, tobacco, beans, vanilla, & chocolate – Plants: Wheat, sugar, rice, coffee to New World – Livestock: cows, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens brought to New World • Prior to the Europeans, Amerindians had no domestic animals larger than the llama (thus scarce protein) • Turkey most important meat source from New World to Europe • Animals – Europeans introduced the horse to Amerindians A Commercial Revolution • Population growth = more consumers of goods – 70 million in 1500 – 90 million in 1600 • “Price revolution” = long slow upward trend in prices – Increased pop., increased food prices, increase volume of money, influx of gold & silver • Rise of capitalism – Entrepreneurs invested money in business – Bourgeoisie at the forefront More Commercial revolution • Chartered companies – State provided monopolies – e.g. British East India Co. & Dutch East India Co. • Joint-stock companies – Investors pooled resources for a common purpose • Early example of modern capitalism – Stock markets emerge • Investors finance a company by purchasing shares of stock • Investors profit as the value of the company grows. • Mercantilism – Goal: nations seek a self-sufficient economy – How: create a favorable balance of trade (export more than import) – “bullionism”: a country should acquire as much gold & silver as possible 16th Significance of cent. economics • Enabled more powerful governments – wealth can be taxed • Inflation stimulated production – Producers can get more $ for their goods • Bourgeoisie got wealthy from trading & manufacturing (social & pol. status increases) • peasant farmers benefitted – Surplus crops could be sold • Nobility suffered (fixed income) • Bourgeoisie grew in pol. & econ. significance