Beginnings of the Global Age Europe, Africa, Asia 1415-1796

Search for Spices 1400’s Other countries wanted trade controlled by Italy and Arabs for three centuries New technology – compass, faster ships, astrolabe, better mapmaking skills made traveling by ship easier, safer Most valued item spices Look for quicker route to Asia Cheaper to eliminate middleman Renaissance curiosity

Traditional Eurasian Trade Routes

Portugal Early 1400’s Prince Henry sponsors voyages to Asia around Africa Wanted wealth, convert others to Christianity 1488 Dias rounded S. Africa (Cape of Good Hope)

Portugal 1497 Vasco da Gama sails to India Took spices back to Portugal, voyage profitable 1502 took four ships, signed trade treaty with ruler of Calcutta Portugal control key ports around Indian Ocean Become a world power

Spain 1492 King and Queen of Spain sponsor voyage by Columbus bring wealth and prestige to Spain Columbus –sail west across Atlantic to reach Indies, underestimated size of earth Landed in Caribbean Islands, discovered new continents

Dividing Globe in Half Spanish want pope to support claim in new world 1494-Pope established Line of Demarcation (Treaty of Tordesillas) Spain claim to all west of line, Portugal everything east Line unclear Other nations realize they needed to build own empires quickly Dutch, French and English establish colonies in North America

Search for Direct Route English, Dutch, French explore coast of North America look for “northwest passage” to Asia 1513 Balboa “discovers” Pacific Ocean claims all land around and ocean for Spain 1519 Ferdinand Magellan (Spain) looks for route to Asia Sails across Pacific, killed in Philippines 1 ship, 18 sailors return to Spain 1521- first to circumnavigate globe

Africa Portuguese set up forts and trading posts around coasts of Africa Engaged in the slave trade Kick out Arab merchants in East Africa Did not explore interior Slaves most valuable product in Africa Slaves served on plantations in Americas and Asia

European Slave Trade Relied on Africans to take slaves Most slaves from West Africa Traded for European goods Slaves filled need for cheap labor in Americas

European Slave Trade Some African leaders resisted slave trade Affonso I of Kongo Slave traders found new ways to get slaves to markets New tribes gained power as slave traders (Asante) Depopulated areas of Africa

European Presence in Africa Portuguese power declined- replaced by French, British, Dutch 1652 Dutch established colony southern tip of Africa (Cape Town), supply ships Dutch colonists called Boers

Europeans in Asia Main purpose was to control the spice trade Portuguese defeat Mughal Empire, massacre Muslims Establish trading posts Most of 1500’s control spice trade Dutch first Europeans to challenge Portuguese

Europeans in Asia Dutch Dutch ships return with spices (1599) 1602 Dutch East India Company formed had full power of government raise army, make treaties take Spice Islands from Port. Better financed establish ties with local rulers

Spain and the Philippines Claimed by Magellan 1521 Converted to Catholicism Base to trade with China Silver mined in the Americas used to trade for Chinese goods

India and European Traders Mughal Empire powerful, looked down on Europeans Did not see Europeans as threat Permitted Euros. to trade along coast Divisions between Hindu and Muslim weakened empire French, English traders took power, made alliances with rulers Used Indian soldiers- sepoys- as military late 1700’s British dominate India

Europeans in China Ming and Qing Dynasties Chinese saw Europeans as barbarians Had no interest in European goods Only wanted gold and silver Europeans could only trade in Macao and Canton , end of the trading season they had to leave European missionaries little success converting Chinese, good source of information about Chinese society

Japan Diamyo competing for power Accept Europeans at first European firearms used to bring Tokugawa Shoguns to power Eventually expelled all foreigners except Dutch Dutch could trade from an island Nagasaki Bay once a year Japan remained isolated for 200 years

Europe in the Americas Mid 1500’s Spain conquered Mexico to South America Established colonies across region Controlled gold, silver mines, sent back to Spain Spain most powerful nation in world

Spanish Rule in New World Controlled trade- did not allow colonies to trade with any other countries Smugglers, pirates, privateers traded with colonies, attacked treasure ships Catholic missionaries- converted Indians, introduced European customs System of labor- encomendia (forced Indian labor) eventually replaced by African slaves Native population declined (25m to 2m within first 100 years) European customs, traditions replaced Native American traditions

Portugal Treaty of Tordesillas gave them land is eastern S. America Est. colony in Brazil 1494 Sugarcane, brazilwood main products Imported African slaves to work on plantations (4 million)

North America English, French, Dutch settled most of North America Did not have gold and silver of S. America Agriculture (tobacco, cotton, sugarcane), furs and fish main products French settled in present day Canada English and Dutch along east coast of North America All countries have colonies on Caribbean islands

Effects of Global Contact Impact of the slave trade- decimated African societies approximately 11 million Africans enslaved and forcibly moved to the Americas Columbian Exchange- movement of plants, animals and diseases between the eastern and western hemisphere Led to a population explosion in Europe after 1700

Effects of Global Contact European colonies established across the world (spread ideas, traditions and culture of Europe) Spread Christian religion across globe (mostly Catholicism) Commercial Revolution Growth of Capitalism- economic system where business is privately owned, goal is to make profit Entrepreneurs willing to take risks led to spread of global trade to make more profit

Effects of Global Contact Mercantilism- Monarchs wanted to make country stronger Colonies provide raw material and market for manufactured goods Need to establish colonies, have gold and silver Needed to export more goods than import (balance of trade)