Comparisons of different colonial empires

2 types of Empires Land Based (gunpowder) Empires Russia Ming Dynasty/ Qing Dynasty Muslim Empires Ottoman Empire Safavid Empire Mughal Empire Maritime Empires (Sea Based) Spanish/Portuguese French Spanish Dutch

Land Based Empires Empires based on a strong army

Muslim Empires

Russian Empire

Ming Dynasty ( )

Qing Dynasty ( )

Maritime Colonial Empires Spanish/Portuguese French English Dutch

Spanish/ Portuguese Reasons for Colonies: – 1. Gold – 2. Gold – 3. Silver (when the gold ran out) Later, for trade

The Colonial Class System Peninsulares Creoles MestizosMulattos Native Indians Black Slaves

Peninsulares Pure blooded Spaniards who were born in Spain Had control over government administration

Creoles Pure blooded Spaniards born in the New World Landowning rich class Associated closely with Peninsulares Still a separation

Mestizo Mixed Indian and Spanish blood Usually middle class Skilled workers Most Hispanics today

Mulatto Mixed African and Spanish Skilled workers like mestizos (usually lower class)

Pure African Slaves Had no real place in society

French Colonies Reasons for Colonies: – 1. Trading posts (for furs) – 2. Missionaries (converting indians) – 3. Excess population (not a huge problem)

New France

Saint Domingue (Haiti)

French Colonial System New France: – trappers, soldiers, and missionaries – Economy: trade with Indians Saint Domingue: – rich white planters, African slaves, and poor white laborers – Small population of mulatto middle class Economy: sugar plantations

Dutch Colonies Mostly set up for trade

Dutch Colonies New Amsterdam: (New York) captured by British South Africa: farmers (Afrikaaners, later Boers) Indonesia Trading posts in India, Caribbean, and Pacific

South Africa

English colonies Mostly North America Some trading posts in India Main reasons for colonies (in N.A.): – Excess population (huge problem) – Religious persecution – Economic benefits

Labor Systems in the Americas

Triangular Trade

Spanish Mita: Inca system to obtain gold and silver from mines – People receive plots of land to work instead of taxes Encomienda: forced work for natives to work on large plantations Both systems so brutal they killed off most of native population

Slave Labor in the Americas Loss of Native populations required different forms of labor Importation of Africans into New World Chattel: Property

Sugar Plantations European demand for sugar, esp. England Plantations across Caribbean Only male slaves – Slave populations decline

Impact of the Slave trade on Africa Gun and slave cycle: desire for more guns led to African kingdoms in search for more slaves in the interior Some kingdoms became powerful, but in West Africa many regions became very unstable Population did not increase

Ashante Rose to prominence after acquiring firearms Akan: loosely knit group of tribes in West Africa – With firearms, united Dominant supplier of slaves on West coast

Benin Strong kingdom on Slave Coast Also supplied slaves

Dahomey Another important African kingdom Most centralized of all the different African kingdoms

Between 1450 and 1750 About 10 million Africans were taken out of Africa 1 million died en route Benefits: brought new crops to Africa