1. Exploration and Colonization (1400s – 1700s)
Created by Ben Bindewald
Southwood Middle School

2. Europe, Africa, and Asia in the Early 1400s
The “Old World”
Europe, Africa, and Asia in the Early 1400s

3. Trade Trade -Europeans wanted goods such as spices, silk, and tea from
“the Indies” (Southeast Asia)
The Silk Road
-Ran from Europe to the Indies
-Was kept safe by strong
Chinese rulers

4. The Silk Road

5. Changes in Trade Routes
New rulers took over Silk Road
It became unsafe to travel
Increased taxes made trade very expensive
Rise of Ottoman Empire
Ottoman rulers became “middle-men” in trade between Europeans and Asians
Asian goods became too expensive for most Europeans to buy

6. Europeans
Explore
The World

7. Why did Europeans want to explore?
To find new trade routes to the Indies
Wanted to go around the “middle men” and trade directly with merchants in the Indies to get rich
For glory and adventure
To spread their culture
Christian religion and European values

8. Obstacles to Exploration
Lack of knowledge and technology
Ocean currents and wind patterns
Sometimes carried ships off course
Sailors had to ride with the currents and winds
Limited ability to explore far away places

9. Europeans began exploring in the late 1400s
Sharing of ideas
Map-makers, shipbuilders, navigators, and inventors shared information that made exploration possible
Europeans gained access to maps and sailing information from the Chinese, Greeks, and Arabs
Development of new technology
By the late 1400s, Europeans had the technology needed to begin exploring faraway places

10. Exploration Technology
Invention
Description
Compass
A device which helped sailors find direction by using a magnetized needle which always pointed north
A device which helped sailors use the position of the stars to figure out their location (latitude)
Astrolabe
Caravel
A fast, lightweight ship which used triangular sails and a rudder for easier navigation at sea and in shallow waters
A mixture of chemicals that explodes
when lit
Used in guns and cannons for:
-protection from other Europeans
-to dominate trade
-to fight against natives
-to hunt for food
Gunpowder

11. Voyages of Exploration

12. Search for New Trade Routes
Portugal and Spain were the first European nations to search for new water routes to the Indies
Portugal sent explorers East around Africa
Spain sent explorers West across the Atlantic
England (Great Britain), France, and Netherlands, all began exploring soon afterwards

13. European
Colonialism
(1500s-1700s)

14. colonialism: a system in which powerful nations rule over the land and people of weaker nations
-colony: a land and its people that are
controlled by a more powerful nation
-colonial power: a nation which has taken
control of the government and economy of
a weaker nation or territory
(a.k.a. mother country)

16. Colonization (by late 1700s) Major Colonies and Colonial Powers
Area of
Colonization
(by late 1700s)
Major Colonies and
Colonial Powers
Africa
Asia
The Americas
Oceania
(Australia and the Pacific)
Trading posts along coast – Portugal (other
Europeans came later)
South Africa – Netherlands (eventually forced out by Great Britain)
India – Great Britain (forced other Europeans out)
Dutch East Indies (Spice Islands) – Netherlands
The Philippines – Spain
British Canada, 13 Colonies – Great Britain
New Netherlands (NY) – The Netherlands
New France, Louisiana, Haiti - France
New Spain, Florida, West Indies, Peru – Spain
Brazil – Portugal
Australia, New Zealand – Great Britain

17. Types of Colonies
trading post empire: a collection of colonies used to trade items, typically along an established trade route
settler colony: type of colony where people move from their mother countries to create permanent settlements or towns
plantation colony: a type of colony in
which large areas of land are farmed by
enslaved people to grow cash crops

18. Europeans
in Asia

20. Europeans Explore Asia
Portugal finds first all water route to Asia in late 1400s
Portugal, Spain, France, England, and Netherlands compete for control of trade
Trade Routes
Europeans set up trading posts
India and China
Silks, tea, porcelain
Southeast Asia
Spices (cloves, cinnamon, pepper)

21. Spread of Religions Hinduism and Buddhism Islam Christianity
Spread throughout Asia by 1400s
Islam
Spread by Muslim merchants and militaries
Christianity
Spread by European merchants and missionaries throughout Asia
Caused conflict with Chinese and Japanese rulers who believed it was a threat to their culture
Led China and Japan to isolationism, a policy of turning inward and cutting off contact with the outside world

22. Europeans in
the Americas

23. European Explorers and Conquerors
Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas while looking for a western route to the Indies
Other explorers from Spain, Portugal, England, France, and the Netherlands continued to explore the “New World”
European nations later began conquering and colonizing the Americas

24. European Colonies in the Americas

25. Spanish colonies South American Colonies West Indies
Plantation farming
Mining
West Indies
New Spain and Florida
Settler and Plantation Colonies

26. French colonies New France Louisiana Haiti Trading Post Empire
Fur Trapping and Fishing
Louisiana
Trading Post Empire and Plantation colony
Haiti
Plantation Colony

27. English colonies 13 Colonies British Canada Southern Colonies
Plantation Colonies
Tobacco, Rice, and Indigo
(and Later, Cotton)
Northern Colonies
Settler Colonies
Fishing and Timber
British Canada
Trading Post Empire
Fur Trapping and Fishing

28. The French and Indian War
England defeated France
France gave up territory to England and Spain

29. Europeans and Native Americans
Europeans spread diseases which killed many Native Americans
European missionaries came to spread Christianity to natives
Treatment of Native Americans
Spanish
Enslaved natives and forced them to work on plantations and in mines
French
Lived among natives
Learned native languages
Hunted, fished, and traded with natives
English
Lived peacefully alongside natives at first
As more English settlers arrived, natives were forced off land
Europeans and Native Americans

30. Europeans
in Africa

31. Exploring Africa’s Coasts
Early trade relationships
By the 1500s, Europeans had been trading with Africans for gold, salt, and ivory for centuries.
Portugal searches for all water route to the Indies
Set up first trading post colonies along coasts of Africa
Other Europeans came later
Were initially uninterested in Africa’s interior

32. African Slave Trade
Many African kingdoms had participated in the slave trade for hundreds of years
Bought and sold criminals, debtors, and prisoners of war as slaves
European Interest in Slaves
As Native American
populations declined,
Europeans wanted an
inexpensive source of
labor for their plantation
colonies in the Americas

33. Triangular Trade
Manufactured goods (tools, guns, rum, and cloth) from Europe to the coast of West Africa
Slaves from Africa to the American colonies
Raw materials (sugar, molasses, tobacco, and cotton) back to Europe

35. “The Middle Passage”
“The Middle Passage”- the awful trip made by enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas
About 16 million enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas between the 1500s and 1800s
Slave traders crammed as many slaves as possible below deck
One in five slaves did not make the journey

36. Effects on African Societies
Many African communities lost their strongest and most capable workers to the slave trade
Families were torn apart
The introduction of guns to the continent of Africa added to the cycle of violence

37. Participation in the Slave Trade
Many African leaders participated in the slave trade to make money
African merchants kidnapped people of interior parts of Africa and sold them to Europeans at trading posts along coast
European merchants bought and sold African slaves for large profits

38. Resistance to the Slave Trade
Some African leaders
King Alfonso I of the Congo
asked the Pope to stop the
slave trade
Slave Revolts
Most slave revolts were put down
Successful revolts
Slaves won freedom in French colony of Haiti
Group of slaves won freedom after fighting their captors and taking control of their transport ship, the Amistad
Abolitionist (anti-slavery) movements took place in the U.S. during the 1800s

39. Continued Exploitation
Slavery was outlawed in most places by the end of the 1800s
Europeans continued colonizing Africa through early 1900s

40. Effects of
European
Colonial Expansion

41. Effects of Colonialism
Political Changes
European countries became more powerful
Competed with one another for colonies
People of Africa, Asia, and the Americas became weaker
Social Changes
Cultures were changed in Africa, Asia, and the Americas
Dominance of European language and customs
Christianity spread to colonized lands
Natives of colonized lands became lower classes
Economic Changes
Expanding international trade (Columbian Exchange)
Growth of capitalism
New trade gave peasants more opportunities
Growth of a middle class in Europe
Transfer of wealth from colonies to Europe

42. International Trade

43. Key Ideas of Mercantilism
Mercantilism: an economic theory that states that nations become powerful by building up large supplies of gold and silver
Government controls economy
Decides what to produce in the colonies
Only allows colonies to trade with mother country
Nations want favorable balance of trade
Export more than you import
Importance of colonies
Sources of raw materials
Ex. cotton, sugar, tobacco
Markets for manufactured goods
Ex. cloth, guns, tools

44. Key Ideas of Capitalism
Capitalism: an economic system based on private ownership of businesses and property
Development of Capitalism
Many merchants believed that trade would increase if governments would let the people control the economy
Free enterprise
Economy is free from government control
Property and businesses are privately owned
People run businesses to earn profit
Market economy
Producers and consumers decide what goods and services to produce
Prices and wages are negotiated in the marketplace
Competition encourages businesses to offer quality goods and services at fair prices

45. Special Thanks To: Google Images (contributions from various artists)
Chanda Robinson’s images taken in Ghana, West Africa of the Slave Dungeons