1. The West and the World: The Significance of Global Encounters, 1450-1650
CHAPTER 12

2. Sub-Saharan Africa Before Europeans Arrived
Several centralized kingdoms, with strong bureaucratic systems modeled on Egypt
Wealth from trade in gold, ivory and slaves
Muslim kingdoms in west Africa: Mali, forest kingdoms of Guinea
Christian empire of Ethiopia
By fifteenth century, many African states were in decline and weakened by wars

3. European Voyages Along the African Coast
Long-established trade contacts with North Africa, especially for gold
Desire to outflank Islamic caliphates and reach India drove exploration along west coast - development of trading posts
New maritime technologies enabled successful ocean voyages
New patterns of colonization: settler colonies and plantation colonies

4. The Americas Before the Conquistadores
Great cultural diversity: nomadic hunters, settled farmers, great empires
Aztec Empire in Mexico ( ) - loose political structure, based on tribute payments
Incan Empire in Peru ( ) - centralized political control and imposition of uniform culture

5. The Mission of European Voyagers
Voyage of Columbus defined by religion - desire to reach Asia, outflank Islam and recapture Jerusalem
Amerigo Vespucci - first to state that the Americas constituted a “New World”
Treaty of Tordesillas, divided the world into Spanish (west) and Portuguese (east) hemispheres
Exploration driven by the quest for Asia

6. The Conquest of the Americas
Conquistadores - often impoverished nobles seeking wealth and opportunity
Claimed territory for Spain in return for a portion of the land and four-fifths of items of value
Requerimento - a document requiring indigenous Americans to submit to Spain and convert to Christianity; provided justification for conquest by force

7. The Fall of the Aztec and Incan Empires
Hernán Cortés ( )
Policy of divide and conquer, to break up Aztec Empire
Aztec prophecies about the return of the white god, Quetzalcoatl, delayed response
Francisco Pizzaro (ca ):
Held Incan emperor for ransom, paralyzing and demoralizing the empire
Conquest of Mexico and Peru provided Spain with an immense empire and great wealth in gold and silver

8. Spanish America
Encomienda system provided basis for social and economic system
Shortage of female Spanish colonists led to growth of mestizo population
Continual African presence in process of conquest and colonization
Size and cultural diversity of territory inhibited any strong centralized control
Catholic Church provided a more effective vehicle for acculturation than did the state

9. Portuguese Brazil: The Tenuous Colony
Remained a plantation colony, with very few white settlers
Conflict between Jesuits and colonists over enslavement of indigenous population
Demand for labor in sugar industry fueled growth in slave trade and intensified African presence in Brazil, creating a vibrant, hybrid culture

10. North America: The Land of Lesser Interest
Little attraction to Europeans beyond cod fisheries and the search for a northwest passage to Asia
During most of the sixteenth century, English interest was restricted to preying upon Spanish and Portuguese Atlantic convoys
Elizabeth I (r ) developed a strong navy and encouraged investment in American colonies
North America remained sparsely settled by 1650

11. Asia Before the European Empires
Ming China ( ) - highly developed civilization, with technological capacities superior to those of Europe
Chinese established contacts in India and Africa; evolution of maritime trading networks across East Asia
Ming emperors did not pursue colonial expansion, but sought knowledge of the world

12. The Trading Post Empires
Distance from Europe to Asia prohibited development of colonies
Establishment of trading posts (factories) that utilized existing economic and political systems
Absence of European conquest undermined efforts at conversion to Christianity
Influence of Asia on Europe was more significant than European effect on Asia

13. The Columbian Exchange
Slave trade transplanted African cultures and institutions to the Americas
Introduction of European diseases and disruption of traditional systems led to unintentional genocide of indigenous Americans
Exchange of flora and fauna between Europe and Americas
Impact of the potato on European population growth fueled migration to Americas

14. The Problem of Cultural Diversity
Neither Christian nor classical learning allowed for the presence of the Americas
Conceptual challenge to European intellectual system
Development of the idea of cultural relativism and tolerance - Peter Martyr D’Anghiera ( ), Michel de Montaigne ( )

15. The Capitalist Global Economy
Agrarian capitalism - production of commercial crops by slave labor
Competition between states, for colonies, fueled economic competition
Western Europe became the core of a global economy, integrated with a colonial periphery
Foundation of economic inequality between the West and the rest of the world

16. The Significance of Global Encounters
Establishment of permanent economic and cultural contacts between Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas
Export of Western culture across the globe
Destruction of indigenous American cultures and systems
Challenge of cultural diversity to European self-conception