Age of Exploration
Factors contributing to the European discovery of lands in the Western Hemisphere
• Demand for gold, spices, and natural resources in Europe
• Support for the diffusion of Christianity
• Political and economic competition between European empires
• Innovations of European and Islamic origins in navigational arts
• Pioneering role of Prince Henry the Navigator
Establishment of overseas empires and decimation of indigenous populations
• Portugal: Vasco da Gama
• Spain: Christopher Columbus, Hernando Cortez, Francisco Pizarro, Ferdinand Magellan
• England: Francis Drake
• France: Jacques Cartier
Means of diffusion of Christianity
• Migration of colonists to new lands
• Influence of Catholic and Protestant colonists, who carried their faith, language, and cultures to new lands
• Conversion of indigenous peoples
Americas
• Expansion of overseas territorial claims and European emigration to North and South America
• Demise of Aztec and Inca Empires
• Legacy of a rigid class system and dictatorial rule in Latin America
• Forced migration of Africans who had been enslaved
• Colonies’ imitation of the culture and social patterns of their parent countries
Africa
• European trading posts along the coast
• Trade in slaves, gold, and other resources
Asia
• Colonization by small groups of merchants (India, the Indies, China)
• Influence of trading companies (Portuguese, Dutch, British)
Columbian Exchange
• Western Hemisphere agricultural products, such as corn, potatoes, and tobacco, changed European lifestyles.
• European horses and cattle changed the lifestyles of American Indians.
• European diseases, such as smallpox, killed many American Indians.
Exports
• The triangular trade linked Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Slaves, sugar, and rum were traded.
• Gold and silver exported to Europe and Asia
Terms to know
• mercantilism: An economic practice adopted by European colonial powers in an effort to become self-sufficient; based on the theory that colonies existed for the benefit of the mother country
Commercial Revolution
• European maritime nations competed for overseas markets, colonies, and resources.
• A new economic system emerged:
– New money and banking systems were created.Age of Discovery
Regional Civilizations
Ottoman Empire
Original location of the Ottoman Empire
• Asia Minor
Expansion and extent of the Ottoman Empire
• Southwest Asia
• Southeastern Europe, Balkan Peninsula
• North Africa
Development of the Ottoman Empire
• Capital at Constantinople renamed Istanbul
• Islamic religion as a unifying force that accepted other religions
• Trade in coffee and ceramics
Mughal Empire
Location of the Mughal Empire
• North India
Contributions of Mughal rulers
• Spread of Islam into India
• Art and architecture: Taj Mahal
• Establishment of European trading outposts
China and Japan
Trade with European nations
• Portugal, England, and the Netherlands competed for the Indian Ocean trade by establishing coastal ports on the Indian sub-continent.
• Southern India traded silks, spices, and gems.
China
• Creation of foreign enclaves to control trade
• Imperial policy of controlling foreign influences and trade
Japan
• Characterized by a powerless emperor controlled by a military leader (shogun)
• Adopted policy of isolation to limit foreign influences
African exports
• Slaves (triangular trade)
• Raw materials (ivory, gold)
African imports
• Manufactured goods from Europe, Asia, and the Americas
• New food products (corn, peanuts)