Age of Exploration

Motives for Exploration God - to convert non-Christians throughout the world Glory - to gain fame Gold - to secure control of lucrative spice trade

Technological Advances Astrolabe – location north/south of equator Compass – magnetic compass invented by Chinese Caravel – a new ocean going ship Improved understanding of wind patterns New improved maps

Portugal Looked Eastward Prince Henry the Navigator – school for exploration (1419) Bartolomeu Dias – rounded tip of Africa (1487) Vasco de Gama – reached India (1498)

Spain Looked Westward Christopher Columbus – Italian, sailing for Spain, who sought westward route to Asia; made landfall in Caribbean (1492) Second voyage took fleet of 17 ships and settlers to colonize the newly found lands Total of 4 voyages – Columbus did realize he had encountered a new world

Columbus's Four Voyages

Other Voyages of Exploration

Land of Demarcation and Treaty of Tordesillas Hoping to keep peace between Spain and Portugal, Pope Alexander VI divided world with imaginary line through Atlantic Ocean. According to Line of Demarcation, Spain received lands to west; Portugal received lands to the east Treaty of Tordesillas moved the line farther to the west, which allowed Portugal to lay claim to modern day Brazil.

Trading Empires in the Indian Ocean Portuguese – established first trading posts in India, Malacca, Spice Islands Spain lay claim to Philippines East India Companies; Dutch, English, French

Global Trade Global transfer of foods, plants, and animals which occurred during the colonization of the Americas is known as the Columbian Exchange.

The “Columbian Exchange” Squash Avocado Peppers Sweet Potatoes Turkey Pumpkin Tobacco Quinine Cocoa Pineapple Cassava POTATO Peanut TOMATO Vanilla MAIZE Syphilis Trinkets Liquor GUNS Olive COFFEE BEAN Banana Rice Onion Turnip Honeybee Barley Grape Peach SUGAR CANE Oats Citrus Fruits Pear Wheat HORSE Cattle Sheep Pigs Smallpox Flu Typhus Measles Malaria Diptheria Whooping Cough

Commercial Revolution The influx of gold and silver from the Americas to Europe coupled with the tremendous growth in overseas trade led to the Commercial Revolution. New business and trade practices of the 16th and 17th centuries lay the foundation for current financial practices.

Capitalism: economic system based on private ownership and investment of wealth for profit. The shift to capitalism began with the merchants of Renaissance Italy and grew with the globalization of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Joint-Stock Companies Similar to modern corporations Liability limited by selling shares in the company Thus investors shared in both losses and profits Most common purpose was to establish overseas colonies.

Inflation: decrease in value of money (occurred when tons of gold and silver flooded the European market) coupled with rising demand for goods and services (European population was expanding after recovering from the plague) led to inflation.

Mercantilism: Based on the belief that there is a fixed amount of gold and silver in the world. For your country to be powerful it had to possess more gold and silver than the other countries.

How to get more of the gold and silver? Acquire colonies for their raw materials Limited colonies purchases to only goods made in the mother country Place high tariffs/taxes on imported goods Grant subsidies to new business to help your country become self-sufficient Seek a Favorable Balance of Trade – export more than you import

The Atlantic Slave Trade

Why was there a need to enslave Africans and bring them to America?

Evolution of Slavery

Slavery began with the Neolithic Revolution. Race has not always been a factor in slavery Slavery that developed in the Americas was largely based on race Europeans viewed Africans as inferiors and thus in the Americas slavery became hereditary

Slavery in Africa

Existed since advent of agriculture Increased with spread of Islam; Africans who converted to Islam believed it was acceptable to take non-Muslim prisoners of war as slaves 1000’s of Africans were shipped to SW Asia as slaves; worked as domestic servants In Muslim societies, slaves had some legal rights and opportunity for social mobility. In Muslim societies slavery was not hereditary

Europe and the African Slave Trade

European Involvement in African Slave Trade Portuguese were the first to engage in African slave trade Brought a limited number of slaves to Europe where they worked as servants for the wealthy However slavery expanded rapidly with the colonization of the new world.

With the loss of native labor, Europeans turned to Africans. Why? Africans had been exposed to many European diseases and had some immunity. Africans had experience in farming and thus could easily learn to do large-scale farming Africans would not be familiar with the new world and this would reduce their chances of escape Spaniards took the lead in bringing slaves to the Americas. With growth of sugar market and the sugar plantations in the Caribbean and South America the number of slaves taken to the Americas swelled. (about 10 million total)

The Triangular Trade

The Triangular Trade – trade between the Americas, Europe and Africa. Middle Passage – the voyage from Africa to the Americas Carried slaves to first the West Indies and then to North and South America Journey was horrendous Once in the Americas they were treated like cattle at an auction Worked long hours and given only enough to keep them productive. Those who tried to escape were severely punished.

Consequences of Slavery

On Africa Numerous cultures lost generations of their fittest members Families were torn apart and most were never reunited Introduced guns which helped to spread wars and conflicts

On America Africans contributed greatly to the economic and cultural development of the Americas Labor of Africans helped many agricultural based colonies to survive Africans introduced new farming techniques; i.e. new rice growing techniques introduced in South Carolina Africans introduced their art, music, and food which has continued to influence American society.