THE SEARCH FOR SPICES The Beginning of the Global Age ca 1400s – 1550s
Motivations for Exploring the East Crusades introduced many Europeans to luxury goods from Asia: Spices: cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves Spices preserve meat, add flavor, medicine, perfumes Black Death and break up of Mongol Empire disturbs trade Population grows again
Spice Islands The chief source of spices could be found on the Moluccas – an island chain in present day Indonesia Arabs and Italians controlled trade Europeans (outside of Italy) knew it would be more profitable if they had direct access to Asia
Spice Islands
Prince Henry the Navigator Portuguese 1415 – Madeira, Azores, and Ceuta (north Africa) Felt Africa had a lot of promise Convert people to Christianity Another source of riches controlled by Muslims
Prince Henry
Bartholomeu Dias 1488 – Rounded the southern tip of Africa Named the Cape of Good Hope – because it opened the way for a sea route to Asia
Vasco De Gama 1497 – Reaches Calicut on the West coast of India Half his crew was lost Left a merchant whose main job was to buy spices and store it until he returned Portuguese would seize ports around India
De Gama
Christopher Columbus Italian Believed he could reach Asia by sailing West across the Atlantic Ocean Columbus believed the Earth was a sphere Under estimated the size of the Earth Portugal refused to sponsor him King Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain financed his voyage Strengthen Catholicism Spanish Inquisition weakened the nation in affluence and culture Wanted to Columbus’ voyage to bring them wealth and prestige
Columbus
Dividing the Globe in Half Line of Demarcation – divided the non European world into two zones Spain – east of the line (Americas) Portugal – west of the line (Africa and India) Treaty of Tordesillas Other European nations saw this as arrogance entered the race for world exploration and domination
Treaty of Tordesillas
Waldseemüller Map
America
Ferdinand Magellan 1520 – Reaches the southern tip of South America Straits of Magellan Names it the Pacific or peaceful 1522 – reaches Philippines (he was killed) Crew first to circumnavigate around the globe
Magellan
Conquest in the Americas 1492 – Explorer Christopher Columbus – Caribbean islands now called West Indies Repeated cycle of encounter, conquest, death Taino people
Conquistadors Conquerors Hispaniola – Dominican Republic and Haiti Cuba Puerto Rico Seized gold Made them pan/mine for more gold Forced conversion to Christianity
Guns, Horses, Disease Guns and cannons superior to bows and arrows European armor Horses helpful in supplies Lack of immunity 90% of population in the 1500s died from disease
Cortez 1519 Hernan Cortez – landed on the coast of Mexico 600 men 16 horses A few cannons Began an inland trek toward Tenochtitlan – capital of the Aztec Empire Malinche – “Dona Maria” Alliances – Other native American groups despised the Aztecs and helped Cortez
Moctezuma Leader of the Aztecs Terrified at the “pale skin bearded strangers” might be Quetzalcoatl – Aztec god king who vowed to return Montezuma sent presents including gold and silver They were dazzled by the city Captured Montezuma fight the Aztecs Eventually Montezuma is captured and renamed Mexico City
Pizaro Takes Peru Francisco Pizaro 1532 – captures Athulapa Atlulapa refuses to be a vassal and convert to Christianity Held ransom Inca pay ransom but killed anyway Inca overrun and killed by disease
Effects (1500s-1600s) A few hundred Europeans aided by superior weapons and disease had conquered millions of native Americans Native American labor to establish gold and silver mines Treasure fleets First time in history entire world connected