Transcript The European Age of Exploration

COMMERCIAL
REVOLUTION
&
NEW POLITICS
(1500-1700)
• Significance: brought about age of
discovery and exploration
Causes
population growth: 60 million in 1400; 75
million in 1500; 100 million in 1600
“price revolution”: (long slow upward
trend); increased food prices, increased
volume of money, influx of gold & silver
from the New World.
rise of capitalism (laissezfaire):entrepreneurs; bourgeoisie at the
forefront
Capitalism
Capitalism had existed in some forms in
antiquity, but faded away with manorial
system of the Middle Ages.
Investment and money lending (usury)
limited by Church laws.
Revived in the late Middle Ages through
trade (Hanseatic League) and population
growth.
Entrpenuers ignore church laws banning
usury, leading to growth in banking.
Banking
First major banking
firms being in northern
Italy (Medici)
Northern Europe:
Fugger family of
Augsburg
Jakob Fugger (14591525)
Financed Charles V.
New Kinds of Business
Banking expanded to Antwerp in 16th c.,
Amsterdam in 17th c.
chartered companies: state provided
monopolies in certain area (BEIC, DEIC),
governments profited from ventures.
joint-stock companies: investors pooled
resources for common purpose (forerunner
of modern corporation), reduced risk.
Other Causes
stock markets: e.g., Bourse in Germany
“Putting-out” Industry –cottage industries
grow.
new industries: cloth production, mining,
printing, book trade, shipbuilding, cannons
& muskets
consumer goods: rice, sugar, tea, spices
mercantilism: nations sought self-sufficient
economy; “bullionism”
Results
Imports of silver from the New World and
population growth led to inflation – effected
the poor and peasants the most.
Landowners, merchants, artisans grow rich
– reinvest money in exploration ventures.
Population growth and enclosure pushed
people of the land into cities
Establishment of poor relief
Causes for Exploration:
Christian Crusaders in 11th to 13th centuries
created European interest in Asia and Middle East
Desire to spread Christian religion; Francis
Xavier Catholic missionary in 16th c.
Rise of nation states (“New Monarchs”) resulted
in competition for empires and trade.
Portugal and Spain sought to break the Italian
(Venetian) monopoly on trade with Asia.
Ottoman Turks restricted trade to Asia after
conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
Causes for Exploration:
Technology facilitated sea travel: astrolabe, better
maps
· Commercial revolution resulted in capitalist
investments in overseas exploration
· Mongol domination of central Asia disrupted flow
of goods over the Silk Road routes.
· Impact of Renaissance: search for knowledge,
adventurism, monopoly of Italian trade with East
Portugal: Explorers
Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460):
financed exploration, established schools
Bartholomew Diaz (1450-1500): rounded
southern tip of Africa
Vasco da Gama (1469-1525): route to India
Portugal: Explorers
Alphonso d’Albuquerque (1453-1515):
established empire in Spice Islands after
1510
Pedro Cabral (1467-1520): sighted Brazil,
defeated Arabs in Indian Ocean
Amerigo Vespucci: “America” named after
him
Spain: Explorers
Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) – pursuing
western route to Asia
Bartholomew de las Casas (1474-1566) –
writings helped spread “black legend”
(mistreatment of natives) The Destruction of the
India 1542
· Vasco Nunez de Balboa (1475-1517): cross the
Isthmus of Panama, first European to see the
Pacific Ocean
· Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521):
circumnavigation of the globe
Spain: Conquistadores: began creating empires by
conquering Indians
Hernando Cortès (1485-1547): Aztecs
Francisco Pizzaro (1478-1541): Incas
Mestizos: mixed white and Indian descent
Creoles: American-born Spaniards
Audencias: Board of 12 to 15 judges served as
advisor to viceroy and highest judicial body.
Encomienda: Indians worked for owner certain #
days per week; retained other parcels to
work for themselves.
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)
Line of Demarcation
established by Pope
Alexander VI (Spaniard) in
1493 between Portuguese and
Spanish territories.
Renegotiated by King John II
of Portugal and Ferdinand
and Isabella of Spain to be
moved 270 leagues further
west.
Establish Spanish domination
in the New World and
Portuguese domination in
Asia for the next century
Cartography
Martin Behaim (1459-1507) and Schoner
Martin Waldseemuller – created map in 1507 based
on Amerigo Vespuci’s voyages – gave name
“America”
The Netherlands
Establishment of Dutch East India Co.
Expansion in Asia (specifically Indonesia
and South Africa… replaced Portuguese)
Henry Hudson explores North America
Establishment of New Amsterdam on
Manhattan Island.
France
Giovanni da Verrazano (1480-1527):
explored northern Atlantic coast of
modern-day U.S.
Jacques Cartier (1491-1557): search for
Northwest Passage (explored Canada)
Samuel de Champlain: “Father of New
France”
England
John (1425-1500) and Sebastian (1474-1557)
Cabot: explored northeast coat of N. America
Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596): led English “sea
dogs” against Spanish shipping
Sir Martin Frobisher (1535-1594): northeastern
Canadian coast
Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), Roanoke
Settlement
Growth of Central Governments
Rise of “New Monarchs in France, Spain
and England leads to centralization of
political power.
Economic and Social changes reflected in
the growing power of governments.
Rulers encouraged trade, overseas
expansion, to obtain taxes and revenues to
further increase their power.
Valois France
France is devastated by the effects of the
Hundred Years War
Louis XI (r. 1461-1483) consolidates power.
Makes war and kills the Duke of Burgundy,
making the province under French control
Used diplomacy to gain further lands (earns
him the nickname “the Spider”)
Charles VIII becomes involved the Italian
Wars.
Valois France – Gov’t Power
System of Taxation put into place
Francis I gains control over the church;
right to appoint bishops.
Legalization of the sale of offices (provided
revenue)
Streamlined government procedures and
efficiency.
United Spain
The marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and
Sicily and Isabella of Castile united the
Kingdom of Spain the 1479 after 10 years
of civil war with nobles who opposed it.
Worked to reduce the power of nobles in the
court, favored the lesser nobility (hidalgo)
Gained control over military orders
United Spain
Monarchy gained right to make
appointments of bishops.
Direct supervision over the judicial system
Direct collection of taxes and other
revenues
Religious zeal and the desire to drive the
remaining Muslims from Spain.
Establishment and control of the
Inquisition.
United Spain – Charles V
Charles V (grandson of F & I) held the throne of
Spain (and he overseas territories) and the throne of
the HRE.
Reoccurring crises kept Charles involved in the
politics of the HRE and away from Spain.
He faced financial difficulties – only saved by New
World treasure.
Little changed in Spanish administration, but the
New World empire continued to expand.
Tudor England
Monarch’s power was balanced by
Parliament and Common Law; allowed for
uniformity across the land
Henry VII (1485-1509) reestablishes royal
control after the Wars of the Roses
Financial independence for the monarchy
Increase the power of Justices of the Peace.
Increase power and influence of royal council
(the Star Chamber).
Tudor England
Henry VIII
Used Reformation Parliament to increase power
of the king (while Parliament’s prestige increased
as well.)
Royal power increased through the leadership of
Thomas Cromwell and the Privy Council
Royal income rose with the appropriation of
church fees and possession; selling of church
lands to new landowners.
Tudor England
Edward VI
Being a minor, the nobility attempted to take back
more power.
Mary I
In attempt to reestablish Catholicism, provoked
revolts.
Elizabeth I
Despite the political mistakes of her predecessors,
Elizabeth made use of royal power established by
her father and grandfather
Fragmented States
Holy Roman Empire – elected nature of emperor,
strong princes, multi-ethnic.
Italy – political fragmentation; internal warfare;
papacy
Hungary – nobles reassert control; multiethnic
empire.
Poland – elected and weak king, strong Diet
dominated by nobles.
Ottoman Empire – multiethnic and multireligious empire.