Chapter 15Part 6

The Age of Discovery

1450-1650 The Age of Discovery

Brought to you by the Renaissance

Motives

GodGoldGlory

Christian Crusaders 11th - 14th Centuries

Created an interest in Asia and the Middle East

The Rise of Nation States

Created competition for empires and trade

The Renaissance search for knowledge

Revival of mathematics Awareness of Dawn of a New Age Printing Press: Maps, texts

Cartography Advances

1492 Martin Behaim’s Terrestrial globe

1507 Waldseemuller’s World Map

1575 Mercator’s Map

Advances in Astronomy and Navigation

New Instruments: Magnetic Compass Quadrant Mariners’ Astrolabe Cross Staff

Caravel Lateen Sail Axial Rudder Gunpowder and cannons

Commercial Revolution

Sparked Capitalist investment Especially in Constitutional

Governments: The Dutch and the English Merchant Companies (Dutch East

India Co.)

Religion

A true desire to convert pagan peoples

Missionary goal of the Jesuits

Portugal

Economic and Religious motives

Sought spice trade with Asia Needed an all-water route

Tried to find Prestor John as an ally against the Muslims (mythical Christian king somewhere in the East)

Prince Henry the Navigator

Financed expeditions along the western coast of Africa in hopes of finding gold

1488 Diaz: rounded the Cape of Good Hope

1498 Vasco da Gama : water route to India

Amerigo Vespucci: first to realize he was in a New World

Cabral was there first

Other Explorers

1513 Balboa: first European to see the Pacific from the New World (Isthmus of Panama)

1519 Magellan: first to circumnavigate the globe

Brazil

Portugal’s New World colony

SUGAR, coffee, cotton plantations Slave trade Much racial blending

Spain

Columbus: 4 voyages to the New World

Las Casas: defended the natives The Asiento: the slave trade Black Legend: Protestant belief that

religion was used as a smokescreen by Catholics for killing natives

Protestant countries just as guilty

1494 Treaty of Tordesillas

Divided the New World between Spain and Portugal (the Pope)

Conquistadores

1519 Cortez The Aztecs in Mexico 1532 Pizarro The Incas in Peru

The Potosi Mines

Spain’s Golden Age

BUT…inflation Bullionism ruined by money drain:

no middle class, little industry, skilled workers, paid soldiers in specie and they spent it where they were

Bankruptcy and repudiation of debts

Spain’s New World Government

4 Vice Royalties Each had a Viceroy Audiencias: 12-15 judges to aid

Viceroys

Creoles: Were Spanish but were born in the New World. Never got the top jobs but secondary

Encomienda System

The crown allowed the Spanish in the New World to use native labor BUT natives were supposed to have a few days weekly to work their own land

Reality was brought to light by Las Casas and Spain opted for African laborers = Asiento

Racial Blending

Mesitzos Mullatos

Imperialism Old Imperialism in the Old World (Africa

and Asia): Europeans worked through the existing political authority usually with trading posts along coast lines. Did not subjugate natives or impose political, economic systems, or cultural values

Old Imperialism in the New World: DID subjugate natives, impose economic, political systems, cultural values

Old Imperialism: Portugal

Set up trading posts and forts along coast

Worked through existing political authority

Africa: Gold and Slaves from Mali and Timbuktu

Da Gama in India (rubies)

D 'Albuquerque in the Spice Islands (Indonesia)

The Jesuits

Led by Xavier

To India, Indonesia, Japan

The Dutch By 1602 The Dutch East India Co.

Took Portuguese holdings in the Spice Islands and Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

1608 founded New Amsterdam in the New World

By 1650 the Dutch challenging Spain in the New World

Also 4 Anglo-Dutch wars (second ½ of 17th C.)

France

Cartier and the Northwest Passage 1608 Quebec (Champlain)

Missionaries as well

England

Under Henry VIII: Cabot brothers found no gold in the New World so there was no interest

1607 Jamestown

More English colonists than others

The Asiento

First Portugal Dutch interfering by 1620 Spain 1672 The English: Royal African

Company

By 1800: Africans made up 60% of the population in Brazil & 20% of the population in the United States

17th – 18th Centuries

50 million Africans had been taken into slavery or had died on the way (Middle Passage)

Remember: SUGAR was the first important plantation crop

Remember: The American form of slavery was different than the old world slavery

The Columbian Exchange

What did Europe get?

Increased wealth Improved diets: Potato, Maize,

Tomato, Tobacco, Vanilla, Chocolate, wild Turkey

Increased global empire Syphilis

The Columbian Exchange

What the Amerindians got:

Misery Smallpox Farm Animals Some Crops Horses More sources of protein