Europeans of 1400’s had a new period of exploring
○ It began because population was growing and they wanted more goods.
○ Spices were wanted because: they preserved meat, added flavor, made medicines, and used for perfume.
○ Spread Christianity and Renaissance Learnings
Portugal Sails East○ Prince Henry led the way in exploration
for Portugal. He liked Africa because of resources and he could convert them to Christianity
○ Because of Portugal’s success, other people wanted to find new trade routes.
○ Portugal's efforts also led to better maps (cartography), faster ships, and a better compass.
Portuguese Explorers○ Bartholomeu Dias
○ He found Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) He gave explorers hope to continue
○ Vasco da Gama○ He reached Calicut, India○ Spice port○ Portugal became a world power
Leading up to Columbus○ Kings and nobles were rich from trading with the
east. But the Turks cut off silk road trade route and their riches were in danger
○ Growing population with more needs and overcrowding.
○ He convinced Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain
Christopher Columbus sails West
○ He wanted to reach the East Indies (Indonesian Islands) by sailing west.
○ Columbus left 1492 on the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.
○ Most of the people Columbus took with him were criminals and soldiers who knew they had a good chance of dying.
○ He spent months cruising through the Caribbean because he thought he reached the Indies. He even called them Indians.
Amerigo Vespucci○ Described his adventures to Brazil○ Martin Waldseemuller, cartographer,
published a map naming the land “America”.
The search for a Direct Route○ Vasco Nunez Balboa went across Isthmus
of Panama in1513, and was first to see the Western Ocean
Ferdinand Magellan
○ Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese nobleman who found the straight of Magellan. He also named the Pacific Ocean, which means peaceful.
○ He left with 5 ships and only 1 returned. 18 0f 270 survived and those men that survived the trip were the first to sail the whole world (Circumnavigate)
Effects of Global Contact○ Columbian Exchange: A vast exchange
of global goods○ New foods and animals
○ From the Western Hemisphere○ Corn, potatoes, beans, turkeys, tomatoes
○ From the Eastern Hemisphere○ Wheat, sugar, bananas, rice, oats
○ The Global Population Explodes
Commercial RevolutionCapitalism
○ Businesses are owned privately○ Take financial risks to make profits○ International trading system○ Inflation rose rapidly (increase in the amount
of money○ What causes inflation?-Government prints too much money-Workers get paid more-Price of food or goods goes up
Mercantilism○ Economic policy: strengthening
their national economies○ A nation must export more goods
than it imported○ Tariffs: taxes on imported goods
Turbulent Centuries in Africa
■ Portugal gains footholds■ Portugal built forts and ports along the
western coast■ Portuguese explorers did not go into the
interior of Africa out of fear.
■ Portugal expanded coastal trading…■ Slave Trade = Highly profitable
■ Exchanged for rum, weapons, gun powder■ Needed workers on plantations in the New
World
The African Slave Trade Explodes
■ Where did they come from?■ Europeans traded with the coastal people who
got their slaves from the interior■ African States: Asante Kingdom, Oyo Empire
■ To expand African power: traded gold and prisoners to Europeans for guns and total control
The Atlantic Slave Trade
■ Triangular trade: a three-legged international trade network
■ Shipping people and goods■ Middle Passage: slaves were transported
to the Americas■ Sugar, molasses, cotton, furs, salt fish,
and rum was sent to Europe■ Highly profitable
Horrors of the Middle passage■ Slaves marched from the
inland to the coastal ports■ Put into holding pens■ Aboard the floating
coffins■ Half died from disease■ Very brutal on ships■ Suicide rate was high■ Impact of the Slave trade Very profitable ■ 11 million enslaved
South Africa
■ Dutch arrived in 1652■ Cape Town: first permanent European settlement■ Dutch farmers were called Boers■ Enslaved people, traded for Ivory■ Found gold and diamonds
South and Southeast Asia
■ Rise of the Dutch■ The Netherlands entered into competition: set up colonies■ 1602: Dutch East India Company
■ Merchants controlled the company; sold shares of stock■ Sovereign powers: built its own army; govern its own
territories■ Formed a monopoly; controlled shipping■ Defeated the Portuguese
The British East India Company
■ Mughal India was the center of the valuable spice trade■ The world leader in textiles
■ A great empire shatters■ British East India Company used the British Army and
sepoys (Indian troops) to drive out the French and control the government
Spain seized the Philippines
■ Philippines was named after the King Philip II
■ Catholic Reformation: the spread of Christianity
■ Mined for silver in Mexico and Peru and shipped to the Philippines and then to China to buy goods
East Asia■ Ming China proclaimed “Our Empire owns the
World”■ The Portuguese wanted Chinese silks and porcelains: all trade
was in gold or silver at one port■ Tried spreading Christianity, but the Chinese were interested in
learning the Renaissance
■ Qin Dynasty defeated the Ming Dynasty■ adopted the Confucian system of government■ Corn and potatoes were introduced which helped double the size
of China’s population■ Lord Macartney, British diplomat, tried to open relations with the
Chinese but failed: he was rude and insulting
■ Korea■ Became a tributary state of China■ Remained isolated from the rest of the world ■ Korean arts and literature interested Europeans
■ Japan■ 1543: Portuguese arrived wanting goods and spreading
Christianity■ 300,000 Japanese converted ■ Tokugawa Shoguns were afraid of Japanese Christians
showing allegiance to the Pope rather than their leaders.■ Killed many off■ Barred all European merchants (remained isolated for more
than 200 years)
Quiz (Opener and FA)1) What was one of the benefits of the slave trade on the economy of the Americas? A. It was very profitable for businessmen B. It lowered taxes for farmers C. It sped up the development of industry2) What causes inflation? A. Price of food and goods go up B. Too much corruption C. Less money printed3) What is capitalism? A. Government own business B. Businesses owned by individuals C. Policy of no trading
4) 5. What year did Columbus leave? A. 1695B. 1492 C. 1594 D. 1496
5) Who did Columbus take on the trip with him?A. Criminals and soldiers B.Slaves C.His Family
6) The Native American population declined dramatically due to the Europeans: a. bringing violence and war b. affecting the population with disease c. breeding with the people
Conquest in the Americas■ Meeting the Tainos
■ Taino live in the West Indies (Hispaniola)■ Columbus felt they were inferior
■ Forced them into Christianity
■ Europeans brought with them guns, horses and diseases
Cortes Conquers Mexico
■ Hernan Cortes■ Marched toward Tenochtitlan, Mexico, the Aztec
capital■ Cortes formed alliances with those who distrusted the
Aztecs■ Emperor Moctezuma sent gifts to Cortes but Cortes
wanted Silver and Gold■ War broke out and Moctezuma was killed and the
Spaniards retreated■ In 1521, Cortes came back and destroyed
Tenochtitlan and built Mexico City
Francisco Pizarro
■ Inca Empire■ Peru 1532■ Incan ruler Atahualpa■ Refused to convert to Christianity■ Held Atahualpa hostaged and demanded a huge
ransom; they killed him anyway■ Conquered Ecuador and Chile■ Established the city of Lima■ Was killed by a Spanish faction
Effects of the Spanish Conquistadors
■ Disease (small pox)■ Horses■ Forced to convert to Christianity■ Indians resisted by preserving aspects
of their own culture and language.
Ruling the Spanish Empire■ Mid 1500’s, Spain claimed a vast empire
stretching from California to South America■ Governing the Provinces: Council of Indies to pass
laws for the colonies■ Viceroys: representatives who ruled the provinces
■ Winning souls for Christianity was important■ The Catholic Church baptized natives■ Built mission churches■ Introduced European clothing, the Spanish language, and
new crafts
Ruling the Spanish Empire
■ Encomienda: the right to demand labor from Native Americans
■ Bartolome de Las Casas: Spanish priests condemned the evils of the encomienda system■ New laws forced Native
Americans to become peons (workers bound to the land to pay off debts)
■ Spain began bringing Africans to the Americas as slave laborers by the 1530s
Colonial Society and Culture
■ Peninsulares (Born in Spain)■ Colonial government and Catholic Church
■ Creoles (American-born descendants of Spanish settlers)
■ Mestizos (Native American and European descent)
■ Mulattoes (African and European descent)■ Native Americans and Africans formed the
lowest social class