New Route to Asia Europeans needed a faster route to save time and money

Remember the 3 G’s (or what motivated exploration) God: Spread of Christianity Gold: Wealth; making money Glory: Expand empire; imperialism

Technological Advances Mapmaking -- called cartography Compass -- invented by the Chinese Astrolabe – used for navigation (Muslims)

New Ships called caravels -- had triangular sails which allowed it to sail or ‘tack’ against the wind

Political Changes Strong centralized governments -- kings and queens wanted to gain power and more land for their countries

Social Changes Political Persecution -- certain religious groups targeted Spread of Christianity

Economic Changes Mercantilism -- idea that a country’s power is dependent upon its wealth (money is power!)

Joint-stock companies -- Businesses would combine resources and sell shares of the company’s stock to investors The profits were then divided among the shareholders based on how much stock was originally purchased

Increasing Trade and Interaction Slave Trade, Triangular Trade, and the Columbian Exchange

Atlantic Slave Trade Europeans needed workers due to the decreasing population (disease) of the Natives in the New World American plantations (sugar in the Caribbean, tobacco, cotton, and rice in the southern United States) needed cheap labor

Journey 9.5 million slaves transported to Americas Horrific voyage—The Middle Passage Conditions: Subject to beatings from merchants and disease. The hold filled with smells of blood, sweat, and excrement. (waste)

Triangular Trade Europe/mother country Americas Trade moves in a triangular pattern from Europe to Africa to the Americas and back to Europe. Africa

Columbian Exchange

Columbian Exchange The global transfer of foods, plants, and animals. Things that moved: Animals Plants Diseases New Technologies New peoples

Old World animals going to the New World Horse Pig Cow Chicken Rats Bees

Old world plants going to the New World Sugarcane Grapes Wheat Bananas Coconut Palms Coffee Dandelions

New World plants going to the “Old World” Potato Corn Tomato Tobacco Cacao (Cocoa) Pineapples Pumpkins

“Old World” Diseases Smallpox Measles Diphtheria Chicken Pox Bubonic Plague Influenza Cholera Malaria