Robert W. Strayer Ways of the World: A Brief Global History Second Edition and Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources Second Edition CHAPTER 14 Economic Transformations: Commerce and Consequence 1450–1750 Copyright © 2013 by Bedford/St. Martin’s

Economic Transformation   European and Asian Commerce Vasco da Gama (Portuguese) 1497-1499 voyage to India Years of creeping down the west coast of Africa, around the tip of South Africa – to India Reached India in 1498 European desired spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, and most wanted pepper, Silk, cotton, rhubarb, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires also in demand Europe had recovered from the Black Death 14th century

15th century monarchs in Europe were taxing their growing population (Spain, Portugal, France and England) Building large armies with gunpowder weapons Cities were growing rapidly – Netherlands and Northern Italy (Venice) were centers of trade This gave birth to economies based on market exchange, private ownership, and accumulation of capital for investment

For many centuries goods from Asia trickled into the Mediterranean from the Middle East Muslims were in control of trade Egypt was the transfer point and Italy (Venice) monopolized the trade distribution to the rest of Europe Portuguese sailed to India to circumvent both the Venice and Muslim monopolies

Some Christians were motivated to find and join with the mythical Christian king known as Prester John, against their common enemy the Muslims. Another crusade Asia was not interested in many European good = trade deficit for Europe Europeans were required to pay for Asian goods with gold or silver Portuguese trips to Africa -African goldfields 1st the Portuguese then the Spanish, French, Dutch and English made their way to Asia

A Portuguese Empire of Commerce Indian Ocean trade – Africans, Arabs, Persians, Indians, Malays, Chinese and others Portuguese wanted to participate in this trade but they had no trade goods that were of interest They quickly realized that their ships with cannons could over power those people who trade here Indian Ocean was without a dominant naval power since the Chinese stopped exploration

Portuguese quickly established fortified bases in key locations – Mombasa in East Africa, Hormuz at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, Goa on the west coast of India, Malacca in Southeast Asia, and Macao on the south coast of China Some bases were obtained by force – Mombasa 1505 Portuguese sacked the city killing some 1,500 people and captured supplies of cotton and silk Portuguese created a trading post empire

Their goal was to control the trade not territory Portuguese king called himself “Lord of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India.” Tried to create a monopoly of trade Tried to require all to purchase a cartez (pass) and pay duties of 6%-10%

Failing to control this trade as they hoped the Portuguese would assimilate into ancient trading patterns Outnumbered by Asian traders Many married Asian women Many settled into Asian of African societies By 1600 the Portuguese trading empire was in decline

Spain and the Philippines Spain was the first European country to challenge Portugal’s dominance of the sea When spices came to Europe on Portuguese ships, Spain rushed to catch up They quickly took control of the Philippines – named after King Philip II Spanish first stopped here when Ferdinand Magellan 1519-1521 sailed around the world

Archipelago of islands – thousands No nation controlled this region Close to China, weak society and no competing authority allowed Spain the opportunity to take this control Colonial rule established

Military post established Missionary effort followed Philippines became a Christian kingdom except the island of Mindanao in the south where Islam had gained some strength here People forced to relocate to Christian centers Forced to pay tribute, taxes, and labor

Large land estates developed by the Spanish Some resisted but Spain was able to gain full control Manila soon became a prosperous trading center – population 40,000 plus Japanese and Chinese started to settle here to take part in trade Chinese resisted conversion to Christianity and were often treated with hostility 1603 20,000 people killed almost the entire Chinese population

The East India Companies Dutch and English also entered the spice trade Together they overtook and displaced the Portuguese Often by force - they were economically and militarily stronger By 1600 the English and Dutch organized their trade through private companies

British East India Company & Dutch East India Company They received charted from the governments granting them trading monopolies They had the power to make war and govern conquered people Dutch forcibly gained control of a number of Spice Islands Island of Banda (nutmeg) the Dutch killed, enslaved or left to starve the entire population 15,000 people Dutch planters replaced the islanders

British East India Company Established 3 major trading posts in India Bombay (now Mumbai), Calcutta and Madras British naval gained control of Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea replacing the Portuguese

On land however they could not compete against a more powerful Mughal Empire Secured trading bases with approval of Mughal Empire India cotton became very important as demand rose in England Hundreds of villages transformed to produce cotton

Asian and Asian Commerce Mughal India, China and Japan Japan – 16th century Portuguese arrived here later followed by Spanish, Dutch and English merchants Feudal conflict between lords (daimyo) who each had their own warriors (samurai) European merchants were welcomed

Military technology, ship building, geographic knowledge, commercial opportunity and religion were attractive to Japanese 300,000 Christian Church memberships 2nd ½ 16th century 17th century Japan unified under a supreme military commander (shogun) from the Tokugawa clan New government started to view Europeans as a threat

Christian missionaries were expelled / Christianity suppressed Execution and torture of 62 missionaries and thousands of Japanese converts Japanese forbidden to travel abroad Banned all Europeans traders / not Dutch who did not seem interested in spreading Christianity 1650-1850 Japan leadership closed Japan off from the emerging world of European commerce

They did maintain a trade link to China and Korea Despite European naval dominance in the Indian Ocean Asian merchants still were able to profit from the new bountiful trade Arabs, Indian, Chinese, Javanese, Malay, Cham and others Southeast Asian merchants were mostly women

Overland trade within Asia was in Asian control Christian merchants from Armenia helped to link Europe with Middle East and Central Asia Thousands of Indian merchants and money lenders (Hindus mostly) lived throughout Central Asia, Persia, and Russia The Asian network was successful even as Europeans militarized their seaborne commerce

Silver and the Global Commerce Silver was attributed most as giving birth to the global network of exchange “Silver went around the world and made the world go round” Bolivia and Japan – silver deposits discovered in 16th century Spanish America produced 85% of the world’s silver

Spain’s Philippines was the link to the silver commerce Manila was the destination of Spanish shipments of silver 1st direct link from Americas to Asia and the beginning of a web of Pacific commerce China had a huge demand for silver Population required paying tax in silver Foreigners with silver could purchase silk and porcelains

Chinese, Portuguese, and Dutch went to Manila to sell Chinese goods for silver Most of the world’s silver went to China Much of the silver sent from America to Spain was spent in Europe to buy Asian products Silver paid for African slaves and spices Silver coin “piece of eight” used by merchants North America, Europe, India, Russia and West Africa as medium of exchange

Silver transformed what it touched Potosi’ in Bolivia attracted people - 1570 it had 160,000 populations Native population forced to work the mines – horrible conditions Mining caused deforestation, soil erosion, and flooding Also allowed local population to operate small scale businesses and make some profit

Spain itself became very wealthy Rulers purchased items to pursue political and military ambitions around the world Silver also caused inflation in Spain Silver prices dropped in early 17th century Spain lost its position as the dominant European power Inflation caused instability

Japan however used its silver to build up their military and defeat enemy warlords and unify the country Japan also allied themselves with merchants to create market based economy They also invested heavily in agriculture and industry -They protected their forests Families tried to have fewer children – late marriage, contraception, abortion, and infanticide Japan’s population slowed – avoiding an ecological disaster

China – to pay taxes more and more people had to sell something – labor or products Communities that grew mulberry trees had to buy rice from other communities Economy became regionalized The large Chinese population fueled the global commerce

The “World Hunt”: Fur in Global Commerce Early modern era furs joined silver, textiles and spices as major global trade items European demand for furs increased and prices rose drastically. Less fur animals in Europe, colder than average weather Economic incentive to find furs

North America French claimed the lands around the St Lawrence River, great lakes and Mississippi River British claimed area around Hudson Bay Dutch along the Hudson River in what today is New York These countries competed for American furs Sothern British colonies – deer skins - hundreds of thousands

Few Europeans trapped animals for furs Indians traded furs for guns, blankets, tools, rum and brandy Large quantities of furs made their way to European markets Beavers almost became extinct Other animals were killed in great numbers reducing their availability 500,000 deer each year

Natives were able to obtain more modern tools and cookware Europeans needed the natives to collect furs and this protected them from being enslaved as Europeans did elsewhere Disease – came with the contact with Europeans “Mourning Wars” capturing other natives and forcing them into your tribe – Warfare between tribes increased and they competed to collect furs

Native populating decreased greatly Indians dependent on European goods Alcohol –rum and brandy=devastation to tribes Binge drinking, violence, promiscuity, and addiction Natives would sell anything they had for alcohol Native women often married Europeans Often these women were abandoned when the men returned to Europe

Expanding Russian Empire Source of furs for Western Europe, China, and the Ottoman Empire Soft Gold – Siberia Europeans paid for furs with American gold and silver – enriched the Russian state Disease here also decimated the native people who also became dependent on Russian goods Russian authorities also took hostages to force the natives to pay their taxes and tribute

Commerce in People: The Atlantic Slave Trade 1500-1866 the trade in humans took 12.5 million people from Africa and shipped them to America Middle passage (part of the Triangle Trade) 10.7 million deposited in America 1.8 Or 14.4 % died during middle passage

Many others perished during their capture and transport to African coast Africa – Some societies disrupted, and strengthened others and corrupted many African diaspora (global spread of African people) Added to the populations and mixing of populations in America

Slavery since the beginning of civilization was an excepted practice associated with warfare and capture Before 1500 the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean basins were the major area of slaves Many African societies practiced slavery and sold slaves into the international market Trans-Saharan slave trade funneled Africans into the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean basins (mostly Islamic World)

Slavery was different in different places Some places children inherited the slave status of parents and other places they did not Islamic world preferred female slave 2/1 Atlantic slave trade preferred males 2/1 American slavery was very distinct

Large numbers of slaves Importance to the economy Treatment of slaves Slavery in America was inherited across generations Treated as dehumanized property lacking and rights Slavery was identified with “Blackness” Slavery in part was connected to the sugar trade

Portuguese traders went to Africa looking for gold and food humans for sale Sugar and later tobacco and cotton with fuel the need for slaves 1452 the Pope granted the king of Spain and Portugal permission to seek and capture slaves (Muslims, pagans and other unbelievers)

Africa became the primary source of slaves Some enslavement of the Natives (in America) but after a short period of time their numbers were reduced by disease It was thought that Africans had immunity to tropical diseases

The Slave Trade in Practice For over 4 centuries the Europeans relied on the African tribes to sell them slaves Slaves were captured and transported to African coast. European ships would collect them Paid for with items desired by African elites Guns were traded and helped increase warfare and capture of slave

African sellers also wanted textiles, metal goods, tobacco and alcohol Slaves - Sold multiple times on trip to coast Often branded Held in slave dungeons Most slaves found themselves in Brazil or the Sugar Islands

Consequences: The Impact of the Slave Trade in Africa Slavery slowed the population growth of West Africa Sub-Saharan population 18% of world’s population in 1600 6% in 1900 Caused economic stagnation

Political upheaval Corrupted people and governments More men than women Women had to pick up the slack in labor Men started having more than one wife

Women slaves became a status symbol to the elite Some women would gain power in governments Queen Nzinga of Matamba 1626-1663 Nigeria – Kingdom of Benin King limited the slave trade Allowed the kingdom to regulate the male population and not fall prey to neighboring societies

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