Politics from 1500-1850

By Monica, Neriel, Matt, Kelin, Ashley

Western Europe• Portuguese port empire is established, spreading vastly and taking full

control. Later the Dutch and British established their own and took over some Portuguese ports.

• Spain conquers the Philippines and Indonesia• Seven Years was created out of commercial and political conflict. British

the most beneficial from this; able to win most battles and acquire land for a future empire.

• 30 years war – large amounts of casualties and damage to cities• Louis XVI establishes an absolute monarchy in England along with a

constitutional monarchy• Spanish Inquisition – created out of religious and political purposes• Early version of checks and balances in England; Legislative, Judicial, and

Executive branches• European interest in the Pacific and Africa; colonization and trade with

them• Change: Beginning to expand territories• Continuity: Monarchy continues to be practiced

Eastern Europe• Peter the Great (reigned from 1682-1725)

was one of Russia’s greatest reformers. In 1677, he embarked on his “Grand Embassy” which was his journey to Western Europe. One of the czars goals was to learn European customs and industrial techniques. Forced change upon his people, which increased his absolute power.Peter the Great westernized Russia. He did this by-Introducing potatoes, starting Russia’s first newspaper, making nobles dress in European fashions, and the social status of women by having them attend social gatherings.

• Catherine the Great (reigned from 1762-1796)Sought to make Russia a great power.Improved conditions of Russia’s oppressed peasantry by restricting punishments noble landowners could inflict on the serfs who worked their land.These changes began to decrease when rebellion started to threaten her rule.

• Seven Year’s War (1756-1763)Pitted France, Austria, and Russia against Britain and Prussia.Problems began to arise when Louis XIV of France sought to expand his borders east into Germany and absorb Spain and the Spanish Netherlands into his own kingdom. This war demonstrates the balance of power. No ruler wanted to see one state dominate all others. When any state became too strong, other formed coalitions against it.In playing the balance-of-power politics, statesmen prevented the building of empires and ensured that Europe would remain a land of independent, competing states.

• Change and ContinuityContinuity: Beginning- From the beginning of the timeframe to the end of the timeframe, Russia was a land of boyars and serfs. Serfdom existed in Russia for even longer than it had existed in Western Europe.

Change: Middle- Peter the Great had westernized Russia with Western European customs, traditions, and even clothing. Although he met resistance to the changes, Peter succeeded in bringing West Europe to Eastern Europe.

Change: End- Catherine the Great sought to eliminate common Russian penalties such as torture, beating, and mutilation of individuals by cutting off their ears, noses, or tongues.

The Americas• Hernan Cortes

• Aztec and Inca societies were wealthier and more complex than Caribbean societies• With only 450 men, Cortés conquered the Aztec empire between 1519 and 1521• Tribal resentment against the Mexica helped Cortés• Epidemic disease (such as smallpox) also weakened the Aztecs.

• Francisco Pizarro• Led a small band of men and conquered the Inca empire between 1532 and 1533• Internal problems and smallpox aided Pizarro's efforts• By 1540, Spanish forces controlled all of the former Inca empire

• Iberian Empires in the Americas• Spanish colonial administration was formalized by 1570

• Administrative centers in Mexico and Peru governed by viceroys• Viceroys were reviewed by audiencias, which were appointed by the king

• Portuguese Brazil was given to Portugal by Treaty of Tordesillas • The Portuguese king granted Brazil to nobles, with a governor to oversee it

• Settler colonies in North America• Colonial government was different from Iberian colonies • North American colonies were controlled by private investors with little royal

backing• They had royal authority and royal governors, but also had institutions of self-

government

The AmericasPolitical Structure of the:

Maya Aztecs Inca North America

•Organized into city-states with no central government•There was frequent fighting among city states•Defeated peoples became human sacrifices

•Ruled by a central monarch in Tenochtitlan without absolute power•A council of powerful aristocrats could choose the new ruler•No elaborate bureaucracy. •Montecuzoma II (reigned 1502-1520) was the emperor of the Aztecs during the time of their conquest.

•Highly centralized government•The Inca (ruler) was believed to be a god•The Inca in theory owned all the land in the empire•An elaborate bureaucracy kept in touch with subjects•The elaborate road system reinforced the Inca's power

•Pueblo and Navajo: large settled societies in American southwest •Five Iroquois nations emerged from the Owasco society around 1400 C.E.•15,000 -30,000 people lived in Cahokia society during the 12th century•No written records

Change Continuities

•Epidemic diseases caused a dramatic change in the population of the natives.•New social/racial hierarchy:

•Whites (peninsulares and criollos) owned the land and held the power•Mixed races (mestizos and zambos) performed much of the manual labor•Africans and natives were at the bottom

•Monarchy: The Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas were put under the rule of Spain; the Americas was put under the rule of the English and French•Internal problems continued: the indigenous people resisted Spanish rule through rebellion.

• Australia was one of the main islands discovered along Oceania during the European Exploration

• Its government system was originally established as a British penal colony for criminals.

• Many of the Polynesian islands located near it, ran under diverse amount of groups and often did not have a designated leader, which is the reason why many islands fell under to the European ruling.

• The discovery of these islands allowed the Europeans to expand outwards and changed the world by linking Europe with the Pacific.

• Similar to North and Latin America, Oceania’s political system began through the Europeans.

Oceania

Africa

• No major political developments during this time period; slave trade rocked Africa’s west coast and brought many tribes to their knees, some being completely wiped out

• Countries like Portugal and Britain marched in, ripped people away from their homes, and sent them to the Americas to do backbreaking work in horrible conditions.

• Leaders like King Alfonso of Congo spoke out against Portugal’s activities, saying that because the people were illegally enslaved that Portugal was committing crimes.

• Others, such as Queen Nzinga, launched guerilla tactics against Portugal until the day she died.

East Asia• In China, after a period of ruling from the Mongols, the Ming and

the Qing Dynasty reinstates a continuing use of civil service exams. They change their views on foreigners by implementing a “no foreigners” rule. In addition, China continues to use dynastic ruling as a the foundation for their government system.

• In Japan, after periods of restlessness, it finally unifies to a stable political system, a change during this period of time. Although Japan unifies, it also continues the usage of the feudal system where the Emperor has power that is distributed amongst his lords and daimyos. Similarly to China, Japan also faced a period of isolation

• East Asia’s changing political system could be compared to the change in European political history, because similar to East Asia, Europe had different political systems ranging from empires and republics, as well as different rulers and their method of ruling. In addition to Europe, East Asia was similar to the Islamic Empire because each empire decided to isolate from other cultures.

Islamic Empire• Osman Bey – the founder of the Ottoman empire that lasted 5

centuries• Mehmed the Conqueror conquers Constantinople and names is

Istanbul• Sulleyman conquered Asian territories and built a strong navy.• Shah Ismail conquered Middle Eastern territories and creates

Sunni Muslim• Shah Abbas creates the Safavid Empire• Babur creates a new dynasty• Akbar controls the Mughul empire, with Aurangzeb later ruining it.• Over expansion leads to chaos in territories and loss of control.• Ineffectual leader ship and succession leads to poor control• Empires all fall

– Change: rulers and empires establish– Continuity: the Ottoman empire continues past the timeline