The Age of Exploration

Motives Europeans had remained in one area of

the world 15th C – began voyages overseas – WHY?

Asia – Long standing interest; Marco Polo (13th C); extensive travels in China, Japan

Mongol Turks (1453) limited access to east Looked to the sea; spices important ECONOMIC MOTIVE – Middle East controlled –

extremely expensive; Europeans wanted this market

Motives cont. RELIGIOUS MOTIVE – to serve God;

covert Muslims POLITICAL MOTIVE - New

monarchies wanted to expand. Had grown extremely powerful and

united (SP, FR, POR, ENG) New knowledge and technology

Gold, God, Glory!

First – Portugal (then Spain) Prince Henry the Navigator – School for

navigators; trade opportunities and expand Christianity

Along coast of Africa Brought cargo of Africans; sold as slaves

(1000 per year to Portugal) Gold, ivory, slaves; built forts along

coast Bartholomew Diaz – rounded Cape of

Good Hope

Portugal cont. Vasco de Gama – rounded Cape and made

it to India! Ginger and cinnamon (earned 1000%

profit) Remember commercial capitalism???? Conflicts w/Muslim shipping though Alfonso d’Albuquerque set up port at Goa

Important geographic location Destroyed Muslim population Later to Malacca (Indo.) controlled whole region

Others follow…. Spanish had greater resources; headed

West Christopher Columbus – most believed

world was round, but no knowledge of size Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain financed 1492 arrived in Caribbean (Bahamas,

Cuba, Hispaniola) – called the Indies Held belief until his death

Others cont. John Cabot (Italian) explored N. Am. Coast

for England Pedro Cabral (Portugal) – South America Amerigo Vespucci (Italian)- several

voyages, wrote letters describing geography; new name – America!

Flourishing civilizations already; NOT new Treaty of Tordesillas – divided Americas

between Spain and Portugal; Spain got the most

Spanish Empire Conquistadors – motivated by glory,

greed, and religious zeal Hernan Cortes – overthrew Aztec empire

(Mexico) Francisco Pizarro – Inca empire of Peru Helped by firearms, armor, diseases Isabella granted the Spanish

encomienda – the right to use “Indians” as slave labor; brutal treatment

Spanish Empire cont. Bartolome de Las Casas disapproved;

became monk and fought for rights of Indians

Ravaged by smallpox, measles, typhus 30-40% died Missionaries set up to convert Indians Church collected taxes – sent back to Spain Later dioceses, parishes, schools, hospitals

Impact of Exploration Native civilizations destroyed Social, political, economic, language systems

replaced by European ones Greed and power (gold and silver mines) New products from NA – sugar, dyes, cotton,

vanilla, hides, potatoes, coffee, corn, tobacco) Columbian Exchange – Exchange of goods and

ideas from Old World & New World Fierce rivalries & tensions

New Rivals English and the Dutch Dutch competed in India and N.

America (West India Company) Settlements “New Netherlands” on

Hudson River to Albany (Manhattan, Staten Island, Harlem, Catskills – Dutch); didn’t last

2nd half of 17th C. England & France

New Rivals Canada goes to France England creates colonial empire along the

Atlantic Coast Economic interests and desire to escape

religious persecution led thousands to NA Jamestown, VA – 1607 First Eng. Colony Massachusetts Bay Colony

(pilgrims/puritans) To be continued in U.S. History…..

Section 2 – African Slave Trade Portuguese had discovered high profits

from African slave trade Colony at Cape of Good Hope

established in S. Africa; Boers (Dutch farmers) came

Inland Africa not as affected Coastal countries devastated Millions sent to plantations in New

World

Slavery Had been practiced within Africa for

centuries Primary market had been Middle East, but

also existed in Europe; most domestics Discovery of the Americas changed things

drastically Sugar plantations of Caribbean needed

human labor Native populations had been killed or died

from disease; needed workers

Slavery cont. First ship to NA – 1518 (Spanish ship) Increased dramatically over the next few

years 10,000 over time brought to the Americas! Even as Great Britain and others had tried

to stop the slave trade, it flourished High death rate: journey itself, disease Didn’t encourage children; cost more $;

later changed though when prices went up

Slavery cont. In early days in Africa, slaves were

prisoners of war Europeans bought slaves from local rulers Increasingly turned inland; African leaders

began to protest But generally viewed slave trade as source

of income; rulers sent raiding parties – if they didn’t, someone else would

Self-preservation

Effects Undermined local economies Depopulated local areas –

strongest, young men taken Increasing warfare to compete Cultures, education, art, etc.

deteriorated (Benin) Overall devastation of West Africa

African Political & Economic Systems Monarchy most common govt. Some had strong central govt. where

leader was almost divine (Yoruba custom – commit suicide when ruler died)

Some independent states, or linked by kinship ties; EX: Ibo – (Nigeria) independent villages linked by

convenience Songhai – western coastline threatened by

growing Moroccan traders; war & eventually crushed by Moroccans

Africa cont. Sometimes Africans allied against

European operations Gold Coast – involved heavily; profited

greatly from trade (slave trade too) Other conflicts – Zaire, Congo, Kenya,

Tanzania Muslim maintained stronghold in N.

Africa Some Christianity in S. Africa

Southeast Asia Malaysia – already Muslim influence Portugal first moves into Spice Islands Later Dutch and English Dutch in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Malacca,

Sumatra, Jakarta (Indonesia) Less impact in Vietnam, Burma,

Thailand Resisted foreign intrusion