Transcript File
Age of Exploration By: Colette Spencer NMBHS Reasons for Exploration • • • • 1. search for resources 2. establish sea trade routes to Asia 3. desire to expand Christianity “God, Gold and Glory” Why did Exploration Begin at This Time? • 1. National gov’ts encouraged it – Only ones rich enough to afford it • 2. Wanted spices, silks, cotton, gems, etc. – Middleman was expensive • 3. Renaissance encouraged improvement & curiosity • 4. New inventions helped navigation – Triangular sails, rudder, magnetic compass, astrolabe • 5. New knowledge of winds and currents • 6. Rediscovered Ptolemy’s map -1409 – Had believed the earth was round The Explorers • • • • Portugal was first Prince Henry the Navigator – 1394-1460 Sent explorers along coast of Africa Found several islands where they built sugar plantations • Got slaves from Africa to work on them • Set up trading posts in Africa • Bartholomeu Diaz – 1487 – first to make it around Cape of Good Hope (Africa) • Vasco Da Gama – 1497 – first to reach India (used Indian pilot) – Lost pilot, men and several ships on way back – Brought back cinnamon and pepper – Cargo profit still was 60 times the cost of the expedition • Portuguese then built trading posts in India • By late 15th cent. England and the Netherlands had sent mariners into Indian Ocean • Columbus – 1492 – sailed for Spain – – – – Located all major islands in Caribbean Encountered the Taino – he called them “Indians” Spaniards very brutal with natives – slaves Diseases devastated natives • Hundreds of Spanish, Dutch, French and English mariners followed over the next 100 yrs. • All searching for passage to India • Instead found a place for new economic opportunities • Balboa – 1513 – crossed isthmus of Panama • First to sight the Pacific • Ferdinand Magellan – 1519 – first to circumnavigate the globe – He was killed in Philippines – Only one ship – 18 men returned to Spain • Sir Francis Drake – west coast of NA • Many searching for NW Passage • 1700’s James Cook – Australia, New Zealand, Sandwich Islands Trading Post Empires • Mid 16th cent. – Portugal had 50 trading posts b/w Africa & Asia – Controlled much of the Indian Ocean – But not able to control for long • English and Dutch got in the game • Eng. more interested in posts in India • Dutch in S. Africa and islands of Malaysia • Both used joint stock companies to maximize profit – English East India Comp. – United East India Comp. (VOC) • Funded by rich private merchants but supported by gov’ts. • Both companies made great profits bringing back spices • Both contributed to the creation of a global trading network Europe in SE Asia • FR, ENG, NETH, SP and POR conquered native peoples – – – – Mostly in the islands Also built empires Established colonies Set up gov’ts. • Didn’t conquer big, powerful states like China & India • Spain conquered the Philippines – Manila quickly b/c busy trading port – Asian goods shipped out to the New World and gold came back – Eventually converted the land to one of the most Roman Catholic places in the world • Dutch conquered the islands of Indonesia – including Java – – – – Controlled most of the spice trade out of the islands Controlled islands by making alliances with locals Less concerned with ruling More concerned with spice trade Competition • Exploration & expansion led to conflict b/w European powers • Competed for trade and markets in Indian Ocean and SE Asia • Also had conflict in Caribbean & Americas • English pirate & privateers often attacked Spanish galleons Columbian Exchange • Global diffusion of plants, foods, animals, humans and disease • Involved lands w/drastically different items • Eur exploration began biological exchange that permanently altered humans and nature Diseases • Disease brought huge losses to indigenous people in Americas • Smallpox, measles, influenza, etc. • People had no immunity • Smallpox usually only affected kids in Eur • No threat to Eur society b/c it didn’t kill many adults • In 1519 – smallpox killed as much as 90% of Aztec empire – 17 mill down to 1.3 mill • By this time SP conquerors had imposed their rule • Politics, society and culture of Mexico’s people gone or under SP control • Sometimes diseases attacked distant societies even when they had no contact with Eur • Pacific islands hit as hard as Americas • These epidemics were the worst demographic disaster in history • More than 100 million may have died Food & Animals • In long run, the CE increased rather than decreased pop b/c of spread of food & animals • From Old World to New World: – Coffee beans, wheat, citrus fruit, cows, horses, sugarcane, honey bees, bananas, chickens, disease • From New World to Old World: – Potatoes, beans, maize, tomatoes, peanuts, pineapples, cacao, tobacco, vanilla – maize & potatoes increased calories – Tomatoes and peppers increased vitamins – Beans added protein • CE created surge in population around world • By 1500 – Eur was recovering from plague – 425 million • By 1600 – pop increased by 25% • Increased slower in next 100 yrs. • But 1700’s increased faster than ever – 900 million • CE also involved spread of humans by transoceanic migrations • Voluntary and forced (slavery) • 1800’s saw largest migration of Europeans ever • To Americas, S. Africa, Australia and Pac. Islands Origins of Global Trade • Eur merchant mariners created a global trading system • Eur countries est. colonies in Americas & Caribbean • Eur manufactured goods traveled to the NW in exchange for silver, gold, sugar & tobacco • Manila galleons (SP), from 1565 to 1815, carried Asian luxury goods across Pacific to Mexico • Exchanged them for silver to take back to Philippines • Most of silver went to China to meet growing demand • Some luxury goods to the New World were sold to the Spanish ruling elite • Most though crossed Central America, then the Atlantic to Spain Environmental Effects • As result of global trade, some animals became commodities • Fur-bearing animals, esp. the beaver • Some almost driven to extinction • Also harvested many deer, cod, whales, etc. • By late 16th cent. there was the never ending human exploitation of world’s natural and agr. resources • Mass markets around the world competed for the most precious commodities – coffee, tea, sugar & tobacco