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

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

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

The Americas Before the Conquistadores Great cultural diversity: nomadic hunters, settled farmers, great empires Aztec Empire in Mexico (1325-1522) - loose political structure, based on tribute payments Incan Empire in Peru (1438-1533) - centralized political control and imposition of uniform culture

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, 1494 - divided the world into Spanish (west) and Portuguese (east) hemispheres Exploration driven by the quest for Asia

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

The Fall of the Aztec and Incan Empires Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) 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. 1478-1541): 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

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

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

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. 1558-1603) developed a strong navy and encouraged investment in American colonies North America remained sparsely settled by 1650

Asia Before the European Empires Ming China (1368-1644) - highly developed civilization, with technological capacities superior to those of Europe 1405-1433 - 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

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

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

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 (1457-1526), Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)

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

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