Ch 6 Notes

World History

 

Expansion-

-         Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, England and France all gain $ by expanding overseas

-         13th century- Marco Polo went to China and wrote a book, inspired many to try to get there

-         14th century- overland trade from Europe to Asia hindered by Turks

o       sea route needed

 

Why?-

-         money

o       lots to be made off trade w/ Asia, especially for spices needed to preserve food

-         spread religion to the non-Christians

-         individual glory

 

How possible now?-

-         kings had a bunch of money to spend on other stuff, take chances elsewhere

-         new technology helped make it easier to travel longer

o       astrolabe

o       compass

o       triangular sails- more maneuverable

 

Portuguese- took the early lead

-         coast of Africa- found gold

-         trade to India by sea

o       Vasco da Gama- first to reach India by sea

o       Brings Portugal lots of $

-         Set up small trading posts- not colonies

 

Columbus-

-         thinks he can sail west and reach Asia

o       others think it can’t be done because earth is too big

o       he thinks earth is smaller than what others thought

-         convinces Queen Isabella of Spain to give him money to try

o       Portugal and Italy had already turned him down

-         lands in Hispaniola, Cuba in Oct 1492

o       calls the land the Indies, the people “Indians”

o       explores other areas, never realizes he wasn’t in Asia

 

Others-

-         John Cabot explores coast of what is now New England for England

-         Amerigo Vespucci goes along with another guy and writes letters about what he saw

o       His name became synonymous with this land = America

 

Spanish-

-         conquistadors- individual conquerors of the Americas

o       Cortes- defeated the Aztecs in Mexico

o       Pizarro- defeats the Incas in S. Am

-         Forced labor- basically treated as slaves

o       Queen authorized use of natives as workers, but not to this degree

-         Deaths- native pop’s of the Caribbean, Latin America go down big time

o       Due to over working, abuse

o       Mainly to disease

§         No natural immunity to small pox, measles, etc

§         In 100 yrs, Mexico’s pop from 25 mil to 1 mil

 

Economic Impact-

-         found lots of gold/silver

-         sent back many crops

o       potatoes, corn, cocoa, tobacco

-         Portugal- $ off jewels, silk, spices from Asia

 

Others-

-         Spanish in Asia- Philippines

-         England

o       India

o       Virginia, Mass.

-         France- Canada, Louisiana

-         Dutch- New York area (New Netherlands)

o       Also- SE Asia

 

Colony- settlement of people connected to parent country by trade and gov’t control

-         rise of colonies causes rise in international trade

 

Then countries wanted a- Balance of Trade- try to export more than you import

            - US- currently a $670 billion trade deficit (bad?)

 

Gov’t encouragement-

-         tariffs- taxes on imports

o       causes imports to be more expensive, people will buy local goods

-         subsidies- payments to business

o       loans, grants, tax breaks

-         fix transportation stuff- better roads, bridges, ports

 

6.2

Slaves- at first, maily to SW Asia, some to Europe as domestic servants

-         plantations- large farms, grew in the new world, needed more labor

 

Triangular trade route-

-         finished goods (guns, cloth) to Africa from Europe

-         slaves to Caribbean from Africa (Middle Passage)

-         sugar, tobacco from Americas to Europe

o       1500s 275,000 slaves to the Americas

o       total- 10 million

o       many died during the trip

§         overcrowding, heat, little food/water, disease

Slave sources_

-         at first, bought from local merchants in W. Africa

-         came from prisoners of war from beaten people

 

Results-

-         areas of Africa deprived of the young (smart minds taken)

-         these areas to Africa will be slow to develop

-         Islam/Christianity spread into the region (mainly Islam)

 

6.3

Mainland SE Asia-

-         had developed political systems (kingdoms)

 

European involvement-

-         Portuguese- take important port city of Melaka and the Moluccas (spice islands)

o       Set up small trading settlements

-         Dutch- push out the Portuguese

o       Started to exert political control over the islands as well

-         Mainland Asia-

o       Involved w/ trade with Europe, but little colonization

o       Better developed political systems than the island states