1. Social Effects of the Age of Discovery
How were people affected by European exploration and colonization?

2. The Spread of Religion
Americas: Spread of
Catholicism into Latin America, Spread of Protestantism into North America
Africa: Attempts by
Christian missionaries
to convert natives and eventually to convert slaves

3. The Spread of Religion
Asia: Christian missionaries successful at first in China, but eventually this causes controversy

4. Effects on Europe
Increase in territory lead to the spreading of empires
globally
Competition
among European
nations (Spain,
Portugal, France,
England, and the
Netherlands)

5. Effects on Europe
Increase in wealth and circulation of money (not
always a good
thing—it lead
to inflation of
the Spanish
economy)
Cultural
diffusion (foods,
plants, etc.)

6. Effects on the Americas
Large numbers of Europeans emigrated to North America (English, Dutch, other western European nations) and South America (Spanish, Portuguese)
Collapse of indigenous Incans and Aztecs (fighting, disease, slavery)

7. Effects on the Americas
African Slavery
Colonial acceptance of
culture from mother country

8. Social Classes in the Spanish Colonies
Establishment of a rigid class system in Spanish Latin America
Peninsulares: European-born whites
Creoles: American-born whites
Mestizos: mixed ancestry between European and Native American
Mulattoes: mixed ancestry between European and African
**Full-blooded Native Americans and Africans would be at the very bottom of the social structure.

9. Effects on Africa
Establishment of European trading posts along coastlines
Trading posts: Portugal first, then other European nations like the Netherlands, France, and
England
Trade:
Slaves,
Gold,
Salt,
other products

10. Effects on Asia
Colonization by small groups of merchants from Europe, especially the Netherlands and Portugal
Creation of influential trading companies (British East India Co., Dutch East India Co.)

11. Effects on Asia
Eventually, nations like Korea and Japan isolate themselves from European trade
China restricts European trade as much as possible.

12. Add these two questions to your Review Questions Handout
How was colonization good & bad for Europeans? Why?
How was colonization good & bad for Asia, Africa, and the Americas?